Succession, Reflection, and Communication: Shen Zhengguo’s Contributions to the Development of Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments

From a micro-historical perspective, it is crucial for understanding the development trajectory of traditional musical instruments. In the second half of the 20th century, China’s modern national musical instruments underwent comprehensive reforms. In particular, the reforms centered on aligning with the Western symphony orchestra model and the 12-tone equal temperament system brought about earth-shaking transformations to China’s musical traditions. Along with the emergence of new education systems, innovative musical instruments, and original works, the music field took on a brand new look, thus forming the new tradition of the 20th century. Meanwhile, the old tradition was almost forgotten within the new institutional framework. However, in recent years, a wave of looking back to tradition centered on ancient traditional musical instruments has quietly emerged, gradually evolving into a prevailing trend in the field of traditional music. Shen Zhengguo stands as a core figure in this academic upsurge. The research and practical work he has carried out are of profound significance for this wave of looking back to and reflecting on tradition. This paper takes Shen Zhengguo as the research subject, focusing on his multiple identities and the practical journey he has undertaken over decades in deeply cultivating the field of traditional Chinese musical instrument culture. From engaging in the practical work of musical instrument production to carrying out cross-disciplinary exhibition curation and publishing academic monographs and from collaborating with experts and scholars in various fields to conducting joint research projects with internationally renowned museums, he holds multiple roles including musical instrument maker, restorer, photographer, researcher, and cultural communicator. He not only devotes himself to the meticulous study of craftsmanship with a file in hand, but also records the inheritance context through his written works. Different from the influence-building paths of outstanding figures in other fields, Shen Zhengguo has delved deep into the local craftsmanship of musical instrument making, broken down the barriers between industrial practice and academic research, and effectively promoted the inheritance and dissemination of traditional musical instrument culture through cross-disciplinary and cross-border academic and artistic cooperation. He has not only become an important bridge connecting the inheritance of local traditional musical instruments with global cultural communication, but also created unique and irreplaceable value and exerted a far-reaching impact on the development process of traditional musical instruments.