Mainland life tugs at guitar maker's heartstrings

Taiwan native says move to Fujian helped him realize dream of promoting Chinese-made instruments worldwide

After having lived and worked in East China's Fujian province for a decade, Hsu Chunyuan said he has found that the Chinese mainland is a prime destination for young people from Taiwan to pursue and realize their dreams.

He added that he is very satisfied with the current development on the mainland and enjoys his work and life in Zhangzhou, Fujian. The native of Taoyuan in Taiwan, who has been working with guitars for more than 15 years, said introducing people from around the world to the instruments made in China is his dream.

The mainland offered him a bigger platform to realize this dream when he was appointed deputy general manager of Taiwan-funded Kristal Musical Instruments (Fujian) four years ago.

"Now, I am very happy to have achieved my original dream," the 40-year-old business executive said.

According to Hsu, more than 600,000 ukuleles and similar guitars made by Kristal have been exported to countries and regions around the world, including Japan, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.

The instruments are also selling well in more than 25 nations in North and South America and Europe because of their high quality, said Hsu, who is in charge of brand building and marketing promotion in his company.

Hsu believes the sales of such instruments will continue to expand in the months to come with the increase of outdoor musical performances and cultural activities.

Kristal, which was established in Nanjing county, Fujian, is the world's largest ukulele manufacturer. It also produces classical guitars, folk guitars and harps that are also selling well, particularly in the Americas and Europe, he said.

Hsu usually works from 8 am to 5 pm every day, with one day off per week. He usually cycles 30 kilometers each way to commute between Zhangzhou and Nanjing.

He said he chose to come to Zhangzhou about 10 years ago to develop his career because at that time, the instrument-making industry on the mainland was still in its infant stage, and there was a large market for guitars.

"Moreover, life in Zhangzhou is very similar to southern Taiwan, with no significant differences in language or diet," he said, adding that he has never felt unfamiliar or uncomfortable working and living in the city.

Earlier, Hsu said he was a singer who collaborated with such artists as Mayday, Jam Hsiao, Chang Chenyue and other pop stars from Taiwan to perform on the mainland, and he was warmly welcomed by fans.

He said the enthusiasm of the mainland fans deeply moved him.

"The mainland fans like me and I also like them. It's music that helps build a bridge to connect Taiwan with the mainland," Hsu said.

"When I was a singer, I was thinking about when the Chinese people would be able to use guitars made in China, and no longer have to purchase guitars made in America and Europe."

To this end, Hsu went to the US and European countries to study how to make guitars and began teaching guitar-making skills after returning to Taiwan.

With his increasing popularity in Taiwan, more and more mainland guitar makers traveled to the island to seek his advice.

Hsu then established a guitar workshop in Fujian to promote his guitar-making skills to meet the growing demand. He had more than 100 apprentices and a group of guitar enthusiasts accompanying him at that time, which helped him better appreciate life on the mainland.

The mainland has a profound cultural heritage and culinary culture, diverse cities, vast market potential and strong inclusiveness, he said, adding that working here has broadened his horizons and helped him make many like-minded friends. "Guiding workers to make guitars, contacting merchants from around the world and selling Chinese-made guitars to various parts of the world is the life I want," he said.

After having traveled to many cities on the mainland, Hsu said he was particularly impressed by the rapid development of various industries.

The mainland's booming development of various industries, the abundance of opportunities and the vast market can help young people achieve their dreams, he said.

Hsu, who enjoys cycling, surfing, sports and traveling, said he plans to work and live on the mainland for a long time.

His wife has her own job in Taiwan, while his children also go to school on the island.

"But they usually come to see me and spend their holidays here when they have time," he added.

Yang Jie contributed to this story.