An instrument of knowledge

"It was evident, from the tonal qualities, that the two instruments are vastly different. Guqin has a withdrawn and introspective nature. Instinctively, I felt a resonance and connection with the instrument," Cai says.

Despite facing disapproval from her parents, who had invested in her guzheng journey, she remained resolute in learning the guqin and started working part-time to fund her studies at the Tianjin conservatory.

It was around that period when she met Tang Bin, who just began his university studies, majoring in advertising. Captivated by a guqin performance in director Zhang Yimou's film Hero at senior middle school, he started learning the instrument, teaching himself how to play.

"I was naturally drawn to the sounds of the guqin. It's a matter of taste that's difficult to explain. Its timbre, appearance, texture, as well as the touch of the strings — everything about the guqin feels right to me," Tang says.

Both of them then sought out to learn from Gong Yi, a national-level inheritor of the art form, who had, by then, stopped taking on new students. However, with their perseverance and technical proficiency, they were both accepted by the master and relocated to Shanghai to learn from him.