The seven strings of Yangzhou

The society says there has been increasing interest in the guqin among university students, whom it has helped set up campus guqin societies, the earliest being Yangzhou University Guqin Society, in 2013.

Liu Jiahui, a student at the College of Liberal Arts at Yangzhou University, who has studied the guqin for two years and is now president of the society, says she started looking into the university's student societies in the summer when she was admitted. Having interest in traditional Chinese culture and a background in Chinese calligraphy, she was intrigued by the guqin society and joined it after enrolling. The society has more than 200 past and present members.

Since it was set up the Nanfeng Qin Society has provided it with 10 guqin and supporting facilities for the students' daily practice. Guqin professionals from Nanfeng also go to the university four times a week, offering the students lessons free of charge.

Zhang Wei, a professional guqin player and student of Ma Weiheng, has played an important role in making those lessons possible.

"Promoting guqin among university students is an important part of our effort in passing on and disseminating Yangzhou's guqin culture," Zhang says. "University students, liberal arts students in particular, have a strong background in traditional Chinese culture, so they're particularly adept at learning the guqin."

The members are very hard-working as well, Liu says. Apart from the weekly lessons, the society holds discussion groups and public lectures, and members often attend workshops at the Nanfeng Qin Society with guqin masters including Ma.

The society has an annual on-campus guqin concert performed entirely by the members in which junior and senior students give solo performances, and the first- and second-year students can also perform as part of an ensemble.