Erhu, one of the most representative traditional music instruments in south Yangtze River regions has a profound connection with Wuxi’s Meicun town is the home of erhu.
Meicun first began making the instruments in 1965 and today has 18 workshops that produce around 40,000 instruments every year. This accounts for nearly 25 percent of China's high-end erhu market. Famous companies such as Gu Yue Qin Fang and Linsheng Musical Instruments operate out of Meicun.
The Wuxi government has developed an erhu focused cultural park to promote its history host erhu related events.
Chinese two-stringed fiddle has had a great impact on Meicun for generations and deeply affects its residents old and new.
Often called the "hometown of the erhu" in China, Wuxi has produced a number of legendary erhu craftsmen such as Wan Qixing.
Requiring meticulous precision – erhus are crafted by hand by skilled craftsmen in Meicun – where they produce the body, neck, tuning pegs and final as sample.
Erhus are made using either red wood, black sandal wood, ebony and rosewood.
Meicun has nurtured many craftsmen of the traditional instrument and continues to be one of the great protectors of the musical form into the present day.
