BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Within a courtyard adorned with a lotus pond, rugged rockeries and apricot trees in the southern suburban region of Beijing, a musician with a gray beard passionately plays the guqin, an ancient seven-stringed zither native to China.

For several decades, Wang Peng has dedicated himself to the art of crafting, studying and playing the traditional instrument. In fact, the guqin used in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was made by him.

Wang, who is now 57 years old, also helped restore more than 100 pieces of ancient guqin, including several dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

During his time studying the craft of guqin at Shenyang Conservatory of Music in the 1980s, Wang developed a deep affinity for both the art of guqin and the cultured lifestyle of the literati that revolves around this ancient instrument and calligraphy practices.

Playing the guqin allows one to transcend into a realm of elegancy, subtlety and unworldliness, embodying virtues of moderation and impartiality, while fostering a sense of harmony and serenity, Wang said.

"It teaches me how to deal with challenges, embrace joys, handle failures and successes with calmness and patience, and always advance with a sense of ease and composure, Wang added.

ECHOES FROM YOUNGER GENERATIONS

Nowadays, an increasing number of Chinese youngsters are embracing traditional culture and developing a deep fascination for the art of guqin.

"Guqin helps me find inner peace," said a lawyer surnamed Ma, who had come all the way from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Ma started learning the instrument five years ago, driven by a desire to alleviate the pressures of work life and find solace in the melodies of this elegant musical instrument. "I come to the studio whenever I'm free," she said.

He Chao, an instructor at the studio, had his initial encounter with the guqin in 2011 when he was a sophomore majoring in horticulture. A year after his graduation, He, now 32, joined the studio as an assistant instructor.

The guqin's distinct low pitch lends itself well to solo performances in serene settings, allowing the performer to showcase musical aesthetics while playing this remarkable instrument, he said.

The studio has six resident instructors including He. To date, more than 1,000 individuals have taken guqin classes here, with their ages ranging from 6 to 80 years old, said Shan Lianqing, an assistant to Wang.

In recent years, a noteworthy trend has emerged as more parents choose to learn guqin alongside their children during summer and winter breaks, according to Shan.

In response to people's growing enthusiasm for traditional Chinese culture, the studio has added an exhibition hall to display ancient instruments and classical guqin scores collected over the years.

The number of visitors each year is between 1,000 and 2,000, Shan said. Enditem

(Reporting by Zhao Shuning, Zhang Zitong and Yu Xiaohua)

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