Awakening a passion for the past

Love and tolerance

According to a China Youth Daily poll last year, 85.8 percent of the 1,000 young respondents said they believed that intangible cultural heritage has gained in popularity in recent years. Asked how they learned about traditional culture, 53.3 percent of respondents said they chose to watch shows, and 50.4 percent said they opted for museum visits. Interest in buying creative cultural products was expressed by 40.5 percent of respondents, with 31.9 percent saying they would like to take part in cultural activities.

The TV show, Chinese Poetry Competition, has been captivating audiences for years. Contestants come from all walks of life, with scientists, students, delivery workers, police officers and pilots all trying their luck, a testament to the accessibility of classical poetry.

Traditional attire, or hanfu, is also enjoying a resurgence, with hanfu rental and photography stores popping up all over the country. Farther afield, it is possible to see Chinese people playing traditional folk instruments on the streets of London, Paris, Sydney and other major metropolises.

In line with this rising popularity of traditional culture, clubs and groups have mushroomed. Zi De Guqin Studio, a band whose members play traditional Chinese instruments, is among the most successful examples.

The band was formed in 2014 and most of its members are in their 20s. It has gained national fame in recent years, after they appeared on the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala dressed in hanfu.

Though their work focuses on their love for traditional Chinese culture, the musicians say this doesn't mean they reject other cultures.

Band member Wang Muyu is a 24-year-old student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, who plays the violin and the pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute). Equally interested in Western culture, she says both instruments pull on her heartstrings."The emotions of all human beings are connected."

Some of the songs the band enjoys playing the most are combinations of Chinese and Western elements, she says.

Music from the Harry Potter films, The Phantom of the Opera, and the Doraemon anime series are all part of their repertoire."They are welcomed by our audience, who interact energetically with us when we play them," she says.

The band has also performed overseas, in countries such as Japan and Malaysia, where they have been welcomed. "They are curious and ask us a lot of questions," Wang says."And the Chinese people there are touched to see the culture of their home country."