Local teenager Peggy Chan Pui Yan, 16, plays the guzheng, the Chinese version of a zither, and has been doing so for over nine years. Despite being such a tender age, Peggy has played for many luminaries including President Xi Jinping and Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On.

According to Wikipedia, the guzheng, also known as the Chinese zither, is a plucked string instrument with a history of more than 2,500 years. It has 16 (or more) strings and movable bridges.

Directly translated, “guzheng” means “ancient zither”.

The modern guzheng usually has 21 strings, and is 1,600 mm long. It has a large, resonant cavity made from wutong wood. Other components are often made from other woods for structural or decorative reasons. Guzheng players often wear fingerpicks, made from materials such as ivory, tortoise shell, resin or hard plastic, on one or both hands.

Publicity shots of Peggy Chan Pui Yan taken on December 23, 2015.

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