Gourd grower revitalizes flute industry

For two years, 39-year-old Gen Congguo has been dedicated to the planting of gourds - an essential material in making a cucurbit flute - in Yunnan province's Lianghe county, his hometown, where the flute is believed to have originated.

"The soil here grows the best gourds. Besides, it's my uncle's will to revitalize the instrument at its birthplace," said Gen, who returned to Banggai village in 2014, six years after his uncle, flute master Gen Dequan, died in Kunming, where the two ran a studio and made cucurbit flutes, which are popular ethnic musical instruments in China.

Gen is the only inheritor of the craft of master Gen Dequan. The senior Gen not only excelled in making and playing the flutes, but also composed many catchy household tunes featuring the instrument.