ZHOU TINGTING, Ye Yuzhao, and their unique instrument have gone viral on the Chinese short-video sharing platform Douyin. The couple’s 12 videos showing them playing the Chinese dulcimer have garnered over 3.8 million views.

Their hammered dulcimer rendition of popular songs, like “Greatest Works of Art” by Jay Chou and the theme song of “Super Mario Bros.,” has won over 195,000 likes, and one of their livestreaming performances once attracted more than 200,000 viewers.

Zhou and Ye are both graduates of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing with a master’s degree in Chinese dulcimer.

After graduation, they joined the China National Traditional Orchestra and the Central Conservatory of Music Chinese Chamber Orchestra, respectively.

The young couple used to perform all over the world; however, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on their offline performances. They set their sights on performing online instead by creating the “Dulcimer cp” on Douyin.

“In the very beginning, we gave dulcimer classes to children via livestreams and answered their questions about how to learn and play a dulcimer,” Zhou said.

The livestreaming classes had barely caused a ripple and Zhou recalled that they had very few viewers, with some of them having never heard of the dulcimer.

To introduce the awesome ancient instrument to a wider audience, Zhou and Ye adjusted their livestreaming styles to make the content straightforward and eye-catching.

They hit the bull’s eye with a video of them playing the ending song of a popular TV series. It got over 500,000 views and brought them online fame.

“Our performances touched the hearts of netizens and made them fascinated by the Chinese dulcimer,” Zhou added.

Along with her orchestra, Zhou is expected to perform at a concert hall in Shenzhen next month.

Shenzhen is where Zhou’s dream as a musician took flight. She began learning how to play the dulcimer at the age of 4 and later attended Shenzhen Arts School where she received more professional training.

Talking about the coming performance in her hometown, Zhou couldn’t hide her excitement. “More and more kids and adults in Shenzhen have fallen in love with the dulcimer. Many friends and netizens told me they are looking forward to seeing me in the concert hall,” she said. (Xia Yuanjie)