The guqin is the seven-stringed Chinese zither central to traditional literati music.
The instrument has a long, narrow soundbox made from two wooden boards, traditionally symbolizing heaven and earth. Players pluck its strings with the right hand while using the left hand to press, slide, and lightly touch the strings. Its repertoire includes slow, highly expressive pieces associated with scholars and educated elites.
The guqin was not primarily a public-stage instrument. It was played in private settings, often alongside calligraphy, painting, and poetry. Confucian tradition connected mastery of the instrument with moral cultivation and education.
The guqin should not be confused with the guzheng, which usually has many more strings and movable bridges. UNESCO added the guqin and its traditional music to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.