Zi De Guqin Studio, founded in 2014 in Shanghai, is the first authentic contemporary ensemble dedicated to traditional Chinese music. It brings together young musicians who perform in traditional clothing and play traditional instruments. Dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese music and culture, the studio focuses on the guqin – a plucked seven-string instrument with a history spanning over three millennia. With refined Eastern aesthetics, the studio has developed a style known as “Ancient Painting Music,” a contemporary online trend in China that blends traditional Chinese music with the visual aesthetics of ancient Chinese paintings, highlighting the country’s rich cultural heritage and sparking interest among today’s youth. In 2020, the studio launched the concert series What is Qin? – The Tang Dynasty, followed by What is Qin? – The Song Dynasty. Dressed in authentic Tang dynasty costumes, the musicians evoke the spirit of ancient Chinese art, bringing to life historical characters through the sounds of the guqin, Chinese flutes, guzheng, and drums. With a repertoire adapted and reinterpreted from traditional compositions, the studio merges the essence of ancient times with innovative musical expression.