History

The guzheng or gu zheng is a Chinese plucked zither. It has 18 or more strings and movable bridges, and the modern guzheng usually has 21 strings and bridges. The picks (called "DaiMao") used by performers to play guzheng are often made out of the shells of hawksbill turtles.The guzheng is the ancestor of several Asian zither instruments, such as the Japanese koto, the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The guzheng should not be confused with the guqin (another ancient Chinese zither with no moveable bridges). The early types of guzheng emerged during the Warring States period (475...