Musical instrument production brings wealth to village in NW China's Xinjiang

Nurdun Ismayil, a craftsman in his 60s with expertise in handcrafted musical instrument making, is taken aback by the transformation of his village's family workshops into an industrial park.

In Jiayi village, Xinhe county, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, more than a third of the local households engage in the art of making handcrafted musical instruments.

They produce over 20 types and more than 50 varieties of musical instruments, covering the entire repertoire of traditional instruments of the Uygur ethnic group.

Nurdun Ismayil inspects handcrafted musical instruments on Oct. 15, 2023. (Chinanews.com/Gou Jipeng)

In June 2008, Uygur musical instrument-making techniques were added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list.

Nurdun Ismayil learned the art of instrument making from his father during his childhood. He worked as a pharmacist when he was younger, but a few years later, he began dedicating himself to instrument making.

"Musical instruments are essential in my life, and I want to pass on this craft," he said. Nurdun Ismayil has now been engaged in instrument making for nearly 50 years and has mastered the techniques and playing methods of more than 10 instruments.

Nurdun Ismayil’s son, daughter-in-law, and apprentices work together in their family workshop to produce musical instruments. After promoting them through short videos on social media, they have attracted clients placing orders. His latest batch of instruments are slated for delivery to Urumqi, the regional capital.

His son is skilled at filming videos, while his daughter-in-law is skilled at hosting live-streaming shows. These platforms have proven effective for promoting and selling their musical instruments.

In the village's musical instrument industrial park, workers are actively involved in producing, packaging, and delivering musical instruments.

A worker is seen at a musical instrument industrial park in Jiayi village. (Chinanews.com/Gou Jipeng)

Hasan Rozi, who began his instrument-making journey at the age of 19, now works at the musical instrument industrial park, where he is responsible for crafting instrument cases.

"I once made and sold instruments independently, but the income was inconsistent. Once the industrial park was set up, I decided to join. Currently, I earn a monthly salary of approximately 4,000 yuan ($547.29)," he shared. He added that many villagers have followed suit and now work in similar roles.

"Previously, local households engaged in musical instrument making operated independently, which created challenges in expanding the industry. To address this, the village established a musical instrument industrial park in 2020. Supported by an investment exceeding 2 million yuan and covering an area of 5,000 square meters, the park's intention is to unify these families and foster a supportive environment," explained Bahtiyar Amut, the Party chief of Jiayi village.

A woman is seen working at the musical instrument industrial park in Jiayi village. At present, the park employs over 160 people in stable positions. (Chinanews.com/Gou Jipeng)

Bahtiyar Amut notes that out of the 347 households in the village, 106 are engaged in the craft of musical instrument making.

In 2022, the village produced and sold 20,000 musical instruments, realizing a total output value of 14 million yuan. For this year, they anticipate the production and sale of 25,000 musical instruments, aiming for an output value of 18 million yuan.

Musical instruments from the village have gained traction not only within Xinjiang but also throughout various regions of the country. Moreover, they are exported to over 10 countries in Europe and Asia.