Zhi Yan is the performance workhorse of the Zhenpin series. It suits advancing students, ensemble players and adult players who have outgrown entry-level instruments and want room to grow.
The soundboard is a single carved block of paulownia, leaving the grain unbroken so the low register can open up properly. Bridges are hand-fitted and calibrated one by one; the nut and tuning pins are set on the bench and re-checked by the maker before the instrument leaves the workshop.
The voice is balanced and versatile: bright on top, round in the middle, steady in the bass, with clear articulation in fast passages and a long, singing decay in slow ones. It is an unusually forgiving all-rounder at this level.
Store it in a ventilated room out of direct sun at 40–60% humidity. During the first three months the voice is still settling — simply playing it daily is the best way to open up the tone; no special treatment is needed.
For more on dugout construction and how it differs from laminated boards, see the difference between dugout and laminated guzheng.
Buying advice: this model is listed at CNY 21000, which is a lower price in the range of the 8 models in the Zhenpin series (prices run CNY 20000 to CNY 108000).Zhixi (CNY 30000) is the next step up and is worth comparing if your budget is close. To keep the budget down, start from Zhimo (CNY 20000). Lanse sits at the same price with a different look and voicing — pick on taste. Bulk pricing is explained in How to order.
FAQ: What is the difference between a dugout and a laminated guzheng in the Zhenpin series? A dugout top is carved from a single block of paulownia with the fibres unbroken, giving fuller resonance and longer decay, at the cost of a much longer build. A laminated top is glued from several boards: more consistent and better value. Neither is absolutely better — it depends on your budget and what you want from the tone.
Suitable for: this dugout guzheng is aimed at professional players, serious amateurs and collectors. Zhonghong also supplies conservatories, ensembles and music shops with batch orders, configuring and tuning instruments uniformly. Schools, ensembles or institutions can use the enquiry form to tell us quantities and scenarios, and we will send a written quotation.
It took over a month to ship, but once it arrived the wait felt worth it, it feels very solid overall, and it does not shift even when you play hard. I would recommend it.
I was playing a practice instrument that cost a few thousand, and moving to this feels like a different instrument, customer service was very patient, and answered every question one by one, very happy with it!
The resonance is better than I expected, and it holds up on something like Fighting the Typhoon, the colour is a shade darker than the photos, but it feels better made, this is one that could be passed down, I'd buy again!
The workmanship is exquisite, satisfied with it.
A friend plays in a Chinese orchestra, and said it is very fair at this price. The edges are finished very cleanly, with no rough spots. The string spacing is even, the octaves are true, and it barely needs adjusting!
A friend recommended them, it did not disappoint, I have already recommended it to classmates.
It shipped the day after I ordered, delivery was faster than I expected, I'll be back!
I hesitated for a long time, and ordered during a promotion, at this price, value for money is not the point, it is about the wood and the work!
A friend recommended them, she said hers has given no trouble in three years, a friend heard it at my place, and asked where I bought it, delivery was two days late, and I was getting anxious.
The instrument arrived, and the moment I opened the crate I knew the money had been well spent. It came in a wooden crate packed with thick foam, five days in transit and not a single knock. The tuning holds very steadily, two months of playing and it has barely drifted, the manual is too basic, so I learned to tune from a video.
The top is bright without being shrill, and the bass really goes down, the sustain lasts a long time, compared with my last one, the difference was obvious straight away, I plan to keep it for my child. Very happy with it!
This was the most expensive one in the shop, I hesitated for six months before buying, I took it to a lesson, and my teacher said the tone was good too. The grain on the soundboard looks natural, the finish is thin, and you can tell it was applied by hand, very happy with it!
My child loves it, I'll be back.