Zheng'an county's guitars hit high note with BRI

After more than 200 elaborate and lengthy manufacturing procedures, exquisitely crafted guitars are revealed as signature products of Zheng'an county in Guizhou province.

These works of art are then distributed by China-Europe freight trains, sea transport and other means to the world.

In a music studio on the outskirts of Moscow, Russian guitarist Grigory Novikov is plucking a classical guitar from Zheng'an county, reveling in the beautiful melody of a Russian classic.

Novikov, 44, began learning classical guitar in his youth. Over the past nearly 30 years, he has played numerous guitars. Today, he has a special liking for this one from China.

"By chance, I acquired a guitar from Zheng'an county through a Chinese distributor, which deepened my understanding of Chinese guitar craftsmanship and music culture," he said.

Novikov not only plays Chinese-made guitars, but also recommends them to others. He believes that even though the guitar is a Western musical instrument, Chinese-made guitars excel in terms of materials, craftsmanship and sound quality.

One of his students, who has been learning from Novikov online for many years, won an award at a competition for young guitar professionals this year, using a Chinese guitar that Novikov lent him.

The young man was so delighted with the guitar that he played it while recording videos, preparing for the competition and during this year's virtual competition.

Back in Zheng'an, a county more than 6,000 kilometers from Moscow, the Guitar Culture Industry Park receives a steady stream of orders from around the world. It is home to over 120 guitar-related enterprises.

"I can't imagine that there was nothing here 10 years ago," said Zhu Meifang, director of the Zheng'an Ruixin Industrial Park management service center.

Due to geographical and transportation constraints, Zheng'an county, in the northern mountains of Guizhou province, was once one of the most impoverished counties in China.

It started making guitars in 2013 when China initiated the Belt and Road Initiative to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Ten years on, Zheng'an county has become a guitar manufacturing center in China, producing over 6 million guitars annually, accounting for about one-fifth of China's and one-seventh of the world's guitar production.

"We do OEM production for more than 100 global brands, producing over 400,000 guitars annually, 95 percent of which are for export," said Zheng Chuanjiu, founder of Zunyi Shenqu Musical Instrument Manufacturing Co Ltd, the first guitar factory to settle in Zheng'an in 2013.

A decade later, Zunyi Shenqu has become a leading local enterprise, with its products exported to countries joining the BRI, such as Turkiye, Russia and Romania, with an annual output of 400 million yuan ($54.8 million).

At a music instrument and equipment event held at the Anaheim Convention Center in California on April 13, Hakan Kutlu, general manager of a Turkish company engaged in guitar sales, said they order over 10,000 guitars annually from Zunyi Shenqu.

"The reasons I order Chinese instruments are the good quality, high cost-effectiveness and popularity," he said.

At the exhibition, another guitar company from Zheng'an, Natasha Musical Instrument Manufacturing Co Ltd, attracted the attention of guitar enthusiasts from various countries with its independently developed all-bamboo smart guitar.

Zhao Jianfeng, founder of Natasha, told reporters that they have invented an intelligent guitar made of bamboo, providing a richer playing experience through innovative technologies such as embedded sound cards and chips.

"The Belt and Road Initiative has provided Zheng'an with a broad platform for external exchanges," said Zhu from Zheng'an Ruixin Industrial Park.