China
16:06, 21-Mar-2018
Breathing new life into Chinese flute heritage
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A Chinese flute master is trying to popularize his ethnic group’s musical tradition.
Ni Kaihong, 30, is a Hulusi master from Lianghe county, the birthplace of this Chinese musical instrument. He learned the Hulusi, also known as the cucurbit flute, from folk artists when he was 10 years old.
As an inheritor of the Hulusi heritage, Ni opened a school to teach locals how to play the instrument.
The Hulusi originated from the Dai Ethnic Group in the Dehong Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China’s Yunnan Province and is over 2,000 years old.
The instrument is made of real "hulu," Chinese for gourd, and the pipes underneath are made of bamboo.
Ni is focused on showcasing innovative performances of the Hulusi, while also playing classics such as “Bamboo in the Moonlight.”
He is intent on popularizing the classical instrument around the world.