Meicun still sings as erhu production hub

Sharing a similar reputation with Hua is Wuxi's native Liu Tianhua, who was the leader of the modern, academic school of erhu artists in China. His masterpieces include Beautiful Night, Autumn Moon over the Han Palace and Marching on the Bright Road.

Today, such masterpieces by Hua, Liu and other musicians are not only popular in China, but have also impressed audiences from around the world.

One crucial figure promoting Wuxi's erhu arts to the world is Japan's most renowned orchestra conductor Seiji Ozawa.

Ozawa was invited to serve as the conductor at the China National Symphony Orchestra in 1978.

He was then asked to lead a string ensemble based on Erquan Yingyue.

After hearing the music, the veteran conductor said he was deeply touched by the pathos of the piece, according to a report in Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun in September 1978.

"Bursting into tears, Ozawa said 'one should kneel down to listen (to the music)'," the report said.

Thanks to the influence of the famed Japanese conductor, Erquan Yingyue immediately became a classic on the world stage of music.

Artists from Wuxi have also played an important role in promoting the local musical heritage to the world.

Hu Jiandong, a renowned erhu player from Wuxi, staged a solo concert in Vienna in 2008, featuring masterpieces by erhu masters from Wuxi. The event further contributed to the understanding of Chinese music among audiences in the West.

He is also the "image ambassador" for the erhu production and performing industries in Meicun.