A Guqin, an ancient Chinese seven-stringed plucked musical instrument, was sold for 8.91 million yuan (US$1.07 million) at a local auction here Wednesday.

The 1,250-year-old rare instrument, named "Da Sheng Yi Yin", or "sounds made by great saints", belongs to imperial Tang Dynasty (618-907), according to Zheng Minzhong, a prestigious expert with the Palace Museum.

The musical instrument has been housed by Wang Shixiang, an established connoisseur on Chinese relics, for over 50 years.

The plucked musical instrument is made of wood, maroon colored with a pattern similar to snake skin.

There is another Guqin housed in the Palace Museum with the same name, paint and patterns as this one, according to the auction company.

Before this sale, the most expensive Guqin was sold for 3.47 million yuan (US$418,072) in the spring of 2003.
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2003)