The Guqin: An iconic instrument for kindred spirits

The Chinese classic "Flowing Water" is played with one of the oldest Chinese instruments, called the Guqin, also known as the seven-stringed zither. In early April, Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the story behind the thousand-year-old tune to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron when they recently held informal talks in Guangzhou. In this episode, we'll introduce the ancient instrument. You'll hear how it sounds, how it is used in both ancient and contemporary music, and you'll hear from musicians and artists who share with us their stories on how and why they came to master it.