Xianzi is a two-stringed instrument of Tibetan origin that’s not commonly seen outside of Yunnan, southwest China. Players of the traditional fiddle don’t follow sheet music, because the instrument was passed on through word-of-mouth and folk teachers.

It may be obscure, but there are a handful of craftsmen fighting to keep it alive. We went to Diqing, a remote village five hours away from Shangri-La city in Yunnan, to meet one of the last expert xianzi craftsmen.

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Producer: Xin Fang
Videographer: Zhang Canrong & Xin Fang
Editor: Nicholas Ko
Narrator: Nicholas Ko
Mastering:

Music: Audio Network