Guzheng (Chinese Zither) — A 21-string plucked zither beloved across China — from ancient court music to modern concert halls.

Heritage Category

Traditional Music

Geographic Origin

Shandong Province, East China

Temporal Peak

Warring States period (5th–3rd century BCE)

UNESCO Status

National Heritage

Transmission

Master-Apprentice (Oral/Aural)

Primary Vectors

Guzheng Playing

CIVILIZATION OBJECT NO. 066

Guzheng (Chinese Zither)

"A 21-string plucked zither beloved across China — from ancient court music to modern concert halls."

COORD: 36.34N / 118.65E

CIVILIZATION CONTEXT

RELATED REGION

Shandong Province

MATERIAL PAIRING

Guzheng Playing

LITERARY NODES

The Sound of Silk: Guzheng Across Millennia

info

This artifact is part of the Intangible Heritage Cluster. It connects to 9 entities across the atlas, spanning 2 regions, 0 masters, 0 festivals, and 1 skill.

01 / ARCHIVAL ORIGINS

Guzheng (Chinese Zither): A Living Heritage

The guzheng is a Chinese plucked zither with 21 strings that has been played for over 2,500 years. Originally a five-string instrument from the Warring States period, it evolved into a versatile instrument capable of both delicate melodies and powerful percussive passages. Modern guzheng music spans traditional folk tunes, classical compositions, and contemporary works. It is one of the most popular traditional instruments in China today.

Centuries

Years of Unbroken Lineage

Related Cultural Vectors

FIG. 01: Guzheng (Chinese Zither) — a living tradition of Chinese intangible cultural heritage.

History & Development

The guzheng took shape in the Qin state during the Warring States period and grew from thirteen Tang-dynasty strings to the modern standard of twenty-one, each resting on a movable bridge. Tang players carried the instrument eastward, where its descendant became Japan's koto, and Chinese opera houses and teahouses made the zheng a fixture of popular entertainment.

Regional schools in Shandong, Henan, Chaozhou, Hakka country, and Jiangsu-Zhejiang developed distinct tunings and ornament, and Lou Shuhua's 1930s classic Fishing Boat Song at Dusk became the most-taught solo piece. The State Council listed guzheng art in the national intangible heritage list in June 2008, and conservatory grading now enrols millions of students.

How It Is Made

01

Tuning the pentatonic scale

Players slide the movable bridges to set a five-note scale per octave, retuning between pieces to match each regional school's mode.
02

Bending pitches with the left hand

Pressing strings left of the bridges raises notes a semitone or more, producing the slides and vibrato that make the zheng sing.
03

Sweeping glissandos

The right hand plucks with picks taped to four fingers, running rapid arpeggios and full-scale sweeps that imitate water and wind.
04

Studying school repertoire

Each region guards signature pieces, so advanced students compare Chaozhou ornament against Shandong drive before settling a specialisation.

Common Questions

How is the guzheng different from the guqin?

The zheng carries many bridged strings for bright glissandos and quick retuning, while the seven-string, bridgeless guqin favours quiet sustained tones, a contrast explored in the guzheng sound story.

Why movable bridges?

Bridges let one instrument serve every regional mode; moving a support retunes a string instantly, which fixed-fret instruments cannot do.

Which pieces should newcomers hear?

Fishing Boat Song at Dusk, High Mountains and Flowing Water, and the Chaozhou school's ornamented suites form the classic starting set heard in teahouse ensembles alongside Nanyin chamber music.

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Watch & Learn

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Stories & Legends

The Sound of Silk: Guzheng Across Millennia

historical

When the guzheng player's fingers sweep across 21 strings, Chinese memory speaks.

The Lute That Crossed the Desert: Pipa

historical

A Persian instrument that crossed the Silk Road and became unmistakably Chinese.

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Skills & Techniques

Guzheng Playing expand_more

The technique of playing the 21-string Chinese zither using finger picks for plucking, pressing, and glissando effects.

Steps

Tune the 21 strings using tuning pegs
Wear ivory or plastic finger picks on right-hand thumb, index, and middle fingers
Practice basic plucking techniques: tuō (outward), mǒ (inward), and gōu (hook)
Learn left-hand pressing techniques on strings to create pitch bends and vibrato
Master glissando (playing multiple strings in sequence) and chord plucking
Combine techniques to perform traditional and contemporary repertoire

Tools

guzheng instrument, tuning key, finger picks (ivory or plastic), tuning fork

Materials

guzheng strings (silk or steel-nylon)

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