The guqin is the traditional Chinese seven-stringed zither associated with scholars and the art of qin music.
The guqin has a history of more than 3,000 years and was traditionally linked with the educated elite, especially scholar-officials. Its music formed one of the refined arts expected of a cultivated person, alongside calligraphy, painting, and the board game weiqi.
Players pluck the strings with the right hand and use the left hand to press or slide along them. The instrument can produce open-string tones, stopped notes, and harmonics. Its long, narrow body is usually made from wood and lacquered.
The guqin is often confused with the pipa, a pear-shaped lute, or the guzheng, a larger zither with many strings. UNESCO added guqin music to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.