Piano makers ride musical surge in China

A growing number of families in China are able to afford a piano and lessons for their children. In 2013, the ownership of pianos had grown to three pianos for every 100 urban households, according to a report by marketresearchreports.biz, and the number is expected to rise to four by 2020. But there is still a big gap between China and developed countries (20 to 30 pianos per 100 households) in terms of piano ownership, which means there is still great potential for growth, the report concluded.

Not surprisingly, China is now the world's largest producer of pianos. The output for 2013 reached 376,000 units, almost 80 percent of the world's total. Meanwhile, the country imported 100,000 units in 2013.

And since 2002, domestic manufacturer Pearl River Piano has been the largest piano manufacturer in the world. In 2013, it produced 136,000 pianos, claiming a 35-percent share of the domestic market and a 25-percent share of the international market.