The One Century on the Strings: Gaohu and Guangdong Folk Music Culture Exhibition opened on August 26, 2025, at the 3rd Floor, No. 1 Exhibition Hall, and runs until November 16, 2025. It is hosted by the Guangdong Museum (Guangzhou Lu Xun Museum), and organized by the Hung Sin-nui Arts Centre, the Zhongshan Museum, and other institutions.

The Gaohu, also known as the “Cantonese fiddle,” is a high-pitched version of the erhu. Gaohu emerged in the 1920s, when Chinese and Western musical cultures were dynamically converging. Combining features of both traditional Chinese bowed string instruments and Western string instruments, the Gaohu vividly embodies the brightness and vitality of Cantonese music. Its distinctive tone inspired a new era in Guangdong folk music and stands as a vivid testament to the inclusiveness and openness of Chinese national music. Over the past century, Guangdong folk music influenced by the Gaohu has been cherished not only in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao but also across China and among overseas Chinese communities, becoming a “resonant cultural emblem” of Guangdong’s musical heritage.

The exhibition focuses on this representative folk instrument of Guangdong—the Gaohu—and brings together musical collections and folk items related to Cantonese opera and Cantonese music, both listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Structured around four thematic sections—“Melodies Along the Silk Road,” “The Formation of Cantonese Tunes,” “Resonating Rhythms of Cantonese music,” and “An Endless Song of Cantonese Art”, the exhibition traces the origins of the huqin family, the creation of the Gaohu, and its musical artistry and cultural impact. Through multimedia interaction, immersive performances, and multi-sensory experiences, visitors can explore the artistic allure of the Gaohu and Guangdong folk music in depth, as the melodies of Guangdong, the Greater Bay Area, and China continue to echo on the world stage. 

Beyond the exhibition hall, the Guangdong Museum has partnered for the first time with the Xinghai Concert Hall to launch Sounds of Lingnan: Thematic Events on Guangdong Music, offering visitors a threefold experience of “Exhibition + Learning + Concert.” This cross-institutional collaboration highlights the vibrant continuity of Lingnan’s musical traditions from past to present.

Exhibition Views

Highlights