In ancient times, literati and scholars delighted in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but it was music that always came first. Five famous players recently teamed up to reproduce the sound of a very popular ancient Chinese string instrument, the guqin.

Five Guqins have been chosen from 92 stored in an art research center for the concert. One is from the Tang Dynasty, one from the Song Dynasty, and three are from the Ming Dynasty. After a year of deciding on which to use and to refurbish the instruments, the five Guqin are ready to be played. 

Guqin player Lin Chen said, “I’m the one who woke up these Guqins, so I’ve spent more time with them. When you put them together, you feel the taste of different times.” 

Lin Chen is a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Art, and she has had access to the Guqin for 30 years. She has been dedicated to researching and protecting this intangible cultural heritage. She is also the organizer of this performance. She remembers when all of the Guqin were taken out from the research center one year ago, there was a lot of discordant noise from the instruments. They needed patience and expertise to adjust them to their original sound. 

Lin Chen said, “When you play Guqin, you should follow the instrument from the heart. At first, the sound is dry, but after fixing it and when you play it more, the sound becomes better. The way you feel Guqin is just like the way you feel your body, feel your energy and emotions. ” 

Another player at this concert is Wu Na, who is also a teacher. Wu Na has won a number of prizes, and has tried to cooperate with musicians from across the globe. She is pursuing a true connection between Guqin and herself. 

Wu Na noted, “Modern life is too fast. The core of playing Guqin is to find inner peace. And through practising your mind, it will work on your daily life... to slow down, and perceive the truth of the world.” 

In 2017, Wu Na started to give lessons on line. She is not focusing on finger techniques like others, but teaching how to pay attention to the inner voice. 

Guqin Student Yue Wen observed, “You play a string, then you listen to it. Until the first voice disappears completely, you play the second string. It’s a practice of finger techniques, and it's a listening practice, as well as a practice of the inner world.” 

These players said Guqin is a long-life instrument. It’s like Zen, and it’s alive. At the same time, it can be preserved in a traditional way while being adapted in a modern and flexible way.