Two parks promote practices and background of erhu industry

From left: A visitor looks at a screen featuring one of the Chinese characters for erhu at the Meicun Erhu Cultural Park. The musical notation of erhu masterpiece The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring decorates a wall at the Meicun Erhu Industrial Park. An array of erhu are exhibited at the Meicun Erhu Cultural Park. CHINA DAILY

Well known for its erhu industry, Meicun town in Wuxi city has established two erhu-themed parks to promote the development and inheritance of the traditional Chinese two-string musical instrument over the past decade.

One of them, Meicun Erhu Cultural Park, opened in 2012 and became China's first erhu-themed comprehensive venue. It features displays on the instrument's history and culture, production technology, production companies and a boutique.

Covering around 3,000 square meters, the cultural park is also home to masters' studios, an erhu concert hall and a training and activity base.

The park has received government leaders at all levels and attracted batches of music enthusiasts, totaling more than 10,000 visitors.

Taking the classic erhu piece The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring by musician Hua Yanjun, commonly known as A Bing, as a clue, the park showcases erhu culture through modern design techniques. The result is an elegant and profound erhu culture exhibition center.

The cultural park is also host to the Jiangsu youth music competition, a New Year folk concert and other events, in efforts to promote the inheritance of the instrument and its production skills.

In February, the park was selected as one of the second batch of Wuxi intangible cultural inheritance demonstration bases.

The other park in Meicun Erhu Industrial Park opened in December 2020.

At its opening ceremony, Zhu Dongqing, head of Meicun, said: "Meicun will take the opening of the erhu industrial park as an opportunity."

"Relying on the rich historical and cultural resources, the park will be committed to the inheritance, innovation and development of traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage skills, and make it an important force to promote economic development."

Covering around 1,000 sq m, the industrial park is divided into five areas, which are erhu workshops, cultural and creative shops, erhu livestreaming studios, a performance hall and school rooms.

The park has built itself a cultural and tourism venue based on the art of producing erhu, integrating creative cultural displays, sales and artistic training.

To better inherit and develop the local erhu industry and promote the exchange of intangible cultural heritage, Meicun has cooperated with the Wuxi Higher Vocational School of Tourism and Commerce. Together they have made great strides in making the industrial park the school's ICH professional training and practice base.

Master erhu makers Lu Linsheng, Wan Qixing and Qiang Jinbo donated instruments to the industrial park at the opening ceremony to express their wishes for a bright future.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn