Wuxi becomes China's first UNESCO City of Music

Over millennia of cultural development, Wuxi has nurtured numerous musical geniuses, including Hua Qiuping, Gu Yuxiu, Liu Tianhua, and Hua Yanjun (Ah Bing). Er Quan Ying Yue (The Moon Reflected on the Second Spring), an erhu masterpiece created by Ah Bing, has elevated Chinese folk music to world-class status.

The city's long musical history has fostered a thriving music industry. Its Meicun subdistrict is the world's largest production base for erhu, producing nearly 50,000 erhu of various types annually. Among the world's 18 harmonica full-industry-chain brands, Wuxi accounts for six, with harmonica production accounting for nearly 60 percent of the global market.

In recent years, Wuxi has been actively promoting international music cooperation. The Wuxi Chinese Orchestra and Wuxi Symphony Orchestra have conducted performance tours in several countries in 2025, including France, Germany, Belgium, Croatia and Hungary, demonstrating Wuxi's rich musical traditions and contemporary vitality.