All-round learning from a universal instrument

At a recent festival dedicated to the yangqin, young people were to the fore

At the third International Dulcimer Music Festival in Beijing from Aug 11 to 16, a concert performed entirely by children and teenagers received particular attention. The youngest performer was just 4 years old, playing the yangqin standing up because she was not tall enough to sit on a stool.

With yangqin education for young people uppermost in their minds, experts and artists joined in discussions at the festival, looking for innovative teaching methods to help young learners acquire techniques and keep them enthusiastic about the instrument.