A once-impoverished mountain county in southwest China's Guizhou Province now makes one in every seven guitars in the world, with more than 140 manufacturers and suppliers exporting to over 40 countries and regions.
Deep in the mountains, Zheng'an County in Guizhou's Zunyi City was once among the province's poorest, and it has become an unlikely global guitar-making hub. Zheng'an had no port, no timber advantage and no industrial base, and it was even the last county in Guizhou to emerge from poverty. But now, one in every seven guitars is made there.
The story began with an exodus. From the 1980s, many people left Zheng'an to find work in the coastal province of Guangdong. Some entered the guitar industry. Among them were the Zheng brothers, who in 2013 brought their production line home and established Zunyi Shenqu Musical Instrument Manufacturing, the first major guitar factory in Zheng'an.
Local officials later asked founder Zheng Chuanjiu to introduce them to people he knew in the industry and invite them to visit Zheng'an, to seek more opportunities to expand the county's guitar-making industry.
"After we'd been operating for almost a year, local officials asked me to introduce them to people I knew in the industry and invite them here for a visit. I went along too, telling them about my hometown and what it had to offer. After two years, they also came here to set up factories. Once those first few businesses were doing well, others took notice. Those Zheng'an locals who had set up factories in Guangzhou, and those from Fujian, Taiwan, Sichuan and Hunan all over the place, began moving their businesses here," said Zheng.
One factory attracted another. Strings, tuning machines, pickups, cases and packaging followed. A production line became a supply chain, and a supply chain became an industry.
Now, Zheng'an is home to more than 140 guitar makers and suppliers. Together, they produce more than 2.5 million instruments a year, export to over 40 countries and regions, and support nearly 15,000 local jobs.
"Zheng'an has been a place of labor export. There are also plenty of people here who need jobs. We trained them to make guitars, giving them a reason to stay. Once we have that pool of skilled workers, more factory owners will know they could come here, recruit experienced people and get production going quickly," said Zheng.
But the county is not content with contract manufacturing. China still imports much of the tonewood used in mid- and high-end guitars, so local manufacturers are exploring alternatives. Bamboo, which is abundant at home, is being tested as a new material for guitars.
Carbon-fiber composites are also being moulded into guitar bodies, with one panel taking shape in just two minutes. Companies in Zheng'an are investing in original products, patents and brands of their own.
"Innovation is an important first step in opening up that market. It shows our clients that we have our own ideas and our own understanding of guitars. With traditional wooden guitars, there are so many variables. If the humidity isn't properly controlled and conditions get too damp, it could lead to bulges and moisture, and the height of the strings can rise. Carbon-fiber composites are a great alternative. They're tougher, reduce our reliance on imported wood, and make guitars easier to maintain and travel with," said Zhao Jianfeng, founder of Natasha Guitars.
The county's rise has also drawn international musicians. Swedish guitarist and composer Johannes Moller once heard about this unlikely guitar hub and came to see it for himself.
"When I first came to Zheng'an, that was in 2017. Although the guitar city project had already been started for some years, at that point, it was not very known at all. To be honest, I was quite skeptical. However, I came back in 2018, and already, in that short period of time, so much had happened. When I came back in 2018, I was really impressed and kind of emotional about the development," said Moller.
In Zheng'an, some found their way back. Some found their way out into the world. And some crossed the world to find their way here. For visitors, the once-unlikely industry is now striking a truly global chord.
Guitar industry boosts development in Guizhou's mountainous county
