A modern twist to the guqin, a zither that resonates through time

When Zi De uploaded its first video on Bilibili, many viewers praised the unique visual quality as well as the group's musical performance, marveling at how Zi De brought to life an authentic experience of ancient Chinese music.

In order to make the audio recording take place simultaneously with the video shoot, Tang placed microphones on the poles set in front of each instrument. When viewers complained about these and how they affected the scene, the group swapped them for smaller ones that don't appear in the frame.

Zi De then added wind and clouds to the scenes, beautified the setting with other props and continued experimenting with new elements in every project.

One of Zi De's latest videos tells a fantasy tale about a dancer in the desert, who picks up a magical box. Musicians pop out of the box and began to play. "This video makes me feel like I'm on an adventure in a Chinese fantasy," writes YouTube subscriber Haruhidude.

The young generations of artists in China have grown up immersed in a globalized culture, says Zhang Wei, the secretary general of the Shanghai Animation Industry Association. Zhang says he has noticed that a growing number of youth are becoming interested in traditional Chinese culture.

"These young people have been digging deep to reach high academic and artistic levels," he says."They are not satisfied with reproducing the crafts and techniques of ancient Chinese arts. Instead, they are ready to push forward and create new, high-quality works."

Zhang says he is glad that such groups have now garnered more attention from the general public.

"Such is the development of Chinese culture," he says.