Chongqing - The Guqin is a highly significant component of our traditional Chinese culture; as a Guqin maker, Wang Chenyang said, “The greatest value of learning Guqin is the opportunity to learn its craftsmanship and connect with the wisdom of the ancients. We carry on the wisdom of the past and develop it to benefit future generations.” 

Guqin serves as a remarkable representation of the Han ethnic group. However, it is regrettable that the Guqin slowly faded from public view in the long river of history. It wasn’t until 2003 that the Guqin was recognized as a world Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations. The Guqin was reintroduced to the public eye in 2008 when director Zhang Yimou incorporated it into the Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Wang Chenyang has been working on Guqin making for ten years; a qualified Guqin takes at least a year to complete due to a series of complex procedures. Compared to our fast-paced lives, it represents a sense of sedimentation and accumulation. Wang also invented an electric Guqin and applied for a national patent to solve the problem of the relatively soft sound of the Guqin. He hopes to make the Guqin’s sound more accessible and suitable for performances by some modern methods.

“I am an artisan who embraces new technologies, and I hope that humanity, technology, and tradition can coexist harmoniously,” Wang remarked.