Visit China: Tianjin town dominates global wind and brass instrument market

Caigongzhuang is a music town. Villagers gather in the fields in the evening to play multiple instruments together, according to Chen Zeyu, a Jinghai district official.

"Instrument-making has been passed down for generations, giving the town a unique artistic spirit," Chen said. Saxophones, trumpets, and flutes adorn the town's walls in colorful murals.

According to local government data, Caigongzhuang produces approximately 450,000 brass and woodwind instruments annually, with 80 percent exported to Europe and the US.

"Instrument manufacturing demands extreme precision," explained Ma Jikun, manager of Tianjin Oves Musical Instrument. "Taking the tuba as an example, its production requires over 300 parts. The bell alone requires about 20 steps, followed by rigorous testing to ensure perfect sound quality."

The tuba bell's material must be accurate to 0.2 millimeters, and it must be manually welded. A skilled worker can weld a maximum of 10 bells per day.

Founded in 2001, Oves is one of China's largest wind instrument manufacturers, producing over 100,000 saxophones, flutes, trumpets, and more each year. Their process blends cutting, heating, quenching, welding, and polishing, with some steps repeated for perfection.

"Compared to production in places like Vietnam, our country has significant advantages in wind instrument manufacturing experience, product quality, and worker skill," Ma said. "Our 80 to 90 percent inspection pass rate reflects that."