Art of Ancient Zither (School of Zhucheng)

According to legend, more than 4,300 years ago, Gu Sou, father of Emperor Shun, was a famous player of five-stringed ancient zither locally. Yu Shun learned to play zither since childhood from his father, and later mastered the zither-making skill. Zhucheng City is the birthplace of Zither School of Zhucheng, and a cradle of Chinese ancient zither. Known as "School of Zhucheng" or "School of Langya", Zhucheng's art of ancient zither took shape in the mid-19th century. Through generations of exploration, exchange, mutual learning and evolution, a school of ancient zither with distinctive features, styles, skills and zither scores came into being. It is a famous school of Chinese zither art in the modern world that melts the past and brings forth the new, and presents a unique style. Wang Puchang (Jifu), Wang Yumen (Lengquan), Wang Zuozhen (Xinyuan), Wang Lu (Xinkui) and Wang Lubin (Yanqing) are famed as the "Five Zither Masters of Zhucheng" (bracketed words indicate their courtesy names). In 2008, it was included in the second batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List.