China's first piano museum and the largest of its kind in Asia has opened in Gulangyu, an island off the city of Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province. Famous for its mild climate and beautiful scenery, Gulangyu is also known as the "Piano Islet" as the island boasts 620 pianos for almost 18,000 residents.
The Gulangyu Piano Museum is the only place in China to showcase world-famous pianos. Recently another 12 antique pianos were donated to the museum by Hu Youyi, a Gulangyu native who now lives in Australia. The museum boasts world-famous brands like Collard, D'Almaine, Steinway and Bluthner. Some of these precious instruments will accompany pianists on a China tour next year for the Gulangyu Arts Festival.
The Gulangyu Piano Museum has more than 100 antique pianos on display, including gold-plated ones, as well as the earliest square piano in the world. The impressive collection also features the world's biggest and earliest upright pianos, making the Piano Museum a magnet for music buffs the world over.
(CCTV.com November 14, 2003)
