Plucking at the heartstrings: Stringed instruments have been played in China for more than a thousand years and are, in fact, a national intangible cultural heritage. Check out this rare performance in Shandong, east China | Xinhua Culture&Travel

During the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a guqin called “Sounds of Utmost Antiquity” made a stunning appearance. This particular guqin is made by Wang Peng, a contemporary Chinese guqin master. It’s a replica of Shi Kuang-style qin, based on documents from the Tang Dynasty. Now it is among the permanent collection of Juntianfang Guqin Art Center in Daxing, Beijing. As one of the oldest plucked instruments, and with a history of over 3,000 years, guqin was listed as a UNESCO