Uygur girl takes ancient Chinese instrument from desert to stage

This summer, 18-year-old Uygur girl Aydina Yasen was overjoyed to receive her admission letter to the konghou program at a conservatory in Northeast China, offering her the chance to further study the ancient Chinese musical instrument she has loved since childhood.

The harp-like konghou is believed to have been introduced to the Chinese hinterland through what is now the Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the prime period of the ancient Silk Road. This instrument flourished during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), frequently appearing in poetry, murals and imperial court performances.

Aydina Yasen grew up in Qiemo county, located deep in the Taklamakan Desert, China's largest desert. Known as the "hometown of konghou", this county used to be a key stop along the southern route of the ancient Silk Road and has unearthed the oldest known relics of the instrument -- dating back 2,700 years.

Aydina Yasen began learning to play konghou at the age of 10. "The first time I heard its sound, I was deeply captivated," she said. "Now, every time I play it, it feels like I am touching an ancient soul."

There was a time when the konghou had almost disappeared. However, efforts to replicate the instrument began in the 1930s, and it made a return to the stage by the 1980s, according to Liang Pu, a konghou instructor in Qiemo.

In 2016, Xinjiang's first public-interest konghou training base was established in Qiemo, drawing both music teachers and students. As of this year, more than 200 children, affectionately known as "konghou kids," have been trained in the county -- and all primary and secondary schools in Qiemo now boast konghou clubs.

Since 2019, five konghou-themed competitions have been held in Qiemo, while a series of konghou-themed concerts have also been staged to enhance the popularity of this instrument.

Among the many attracted to this instrument in Qiemo, Aydina Yasen is the only one to gain admission to a college-level program in recent years, securing a spot at Shenyang Conservatory of Music in Liaoning province.

"There are only a handful of conservatories offering konghou as a major, and each admits very few students annually," said Liang. "Pursuing this path requires immense dedication."

"I hope my daughter can pass on traditional konghou techniques and share its culture with the world," said Aydina Yasen's mother, a music teacher who has strongly supported Aydina Yasen's dream.

"Learning konghou was never easy, but it took me from the desert to big cities, and opened up a much bigger world," Aydina Yasen said, adding that she hopes to share the rich konghou culture of her hometown with wider audiences.