Xiong Shangde (left), a representative inheritor of the skill of Tianshui guqin making, creates an instrument with his apprentice, Zhang Tao, at his workshop in Tianshui, Gansu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A Chinese musician played a famous melody on the guqin — an instrument listed as a world cultural heritage — during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Songyuan in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on April 7.

The guqin used on that day is an ancient Fuxi-style instrument that was said to be made 1,267 years ago during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Fuxi, a legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation, is believed by many to be the inventor of the guqin (although others have also been credited).

Xiong Shangde, a representative inheritor of the city-level intangible heritage of Tianshui guqin making, creates an instrument in Tianshui, Gansu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Nowadays, in Tianshui, Gansu province, which claims to be the legendary ancestor's birthplace, technicians continue to inherit the craft of making the guqin. It was listed as a city-level intangible cultural heritage in 2017.

The instruments made by some masters, such as Wang Zhanyun, Fan Xiaoyang and Xiong Shangde, are sold around the country. Guqin performances are widespread in Tianshui.