A Dutch barrel organ shown on Music China 2007 that opened in Shanghai on Wednesday, October 17, 2007, aroused visitors' curiosity.

The largest exhibition of musical instruments in Asia, Music China 2007, opened on Wednesday as a prelude to the 9th China Shanghai International Arts Festival to be held on Thursday.

A 1,188-kilogram gong, the world's largest, is among the exhibits. The expo covers nearly all sorts of musical instruments, including piano, string instrument, percussion instrument, electronic musical instruments, brass instruments and instruments for folk music.

Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News reports that some exhibitors showed collectible souvenirs of high artistic value such as a Blüthner piano decorated with authentic work by a master oil painter.

More than 1,300 exhibitors from 23 countries participated in the show, including many international brand names and famous domestic corporations such as Yamaha, Roland and Gibson.

An organizer of the event, Intex Shanghai Company, was quoted as saying that the space for the show was expanded from 70 thousand square meters last year to 80 thousand square meters this year.

In addition, China is becoming one of the largest markets and manufacturers of musical instrument in the world.

(CRI.cn October 18, 2007)