Quality violin making finds unexpected home in rural county
Once a poverty-stricken rural area, Queshan County in China has transformed into a major violin-making hub that produces 400,000 instruments annually for export, driven by returning craftsmen who are now focusing on improving quality to rival traditional European standards.
A rural Chinese county, Queshan, in Henan Province has unexpectedly become a hub for violin making despite having no history in the field. Wang Jinwu, a 54-year-old violin maker, operates a company in Xiaowangzhuang Village. Around him, workers carefully shape and assemble violins in small, precise movements. The craft, rooted in European tradition, has found a new home in Queshan, where it now employs over 2,600 people producing around 400,000 violins annually.
Approximately 80% of these violins are exported. The industry began with Queshan villagers learning violin making in Beijing in the 1980s. By the mid-2010s, many returned home with skills and connections, sparking the revival of the local violin making industry. The success of this craft has been partly due to the flexibility it offers to workers.
For instance, Xiong Jinduo, a mother of two, can make violin parts while caring for her family. Another factor is the quality of the violins produced. Each violin takes about a month and a half to make, with around 20 rounds of varnish application, drying, and sanding. Despite challenges such as long periods of repetitive work, the industry is growing, with plans to establish an industrial park and training facilities.
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