Museum strikes ancient notes with replicas

A year after joining the orchestra, Yan started to produce bone flutes, which are replicas of the Jiahu bone flute.

"When I was a child, I was drawn to the sound of the bamboo flute, which gives me goosebumps. I planned on joining a traditional Chinese orchestra or becoming a music teacher. Now, I am doing more than that. I not only play the flute but also make instruments based on cultural relics and historical documents, reviving the melodic treasures of the past, which has introduced me to a whole new world," says Yan.

According to Yan, the Jiahu bone flute replicas use the bones of large birds, such as eagles, that died of natural causes. The most challenging part of making the flute is measuring the positions of the holes and drilling the embouchure.

"Drilling each hole and adjusting its size for the desired pitch is key to producing the flute. Tuning requires patience and experimentation," Yan says. "There are no textbooks to teach us how to play these instruments and they demand different techniques. We had to learn by trial and error."

"The restoration and replication of ancient musical instruments is not merely an academic exercise but a profound cultural endeavor. It's about celebrating the wisdom of our ancestors," Yan adds.