We can do more to save guqin: Design and evaluate interactive systems to make guqin more accessible to the general public

Abstract

Guqin is a plucked seven-string traditional Chinese musical instrument that exists for over 3,000 years. However, as an Intangible World Cultural Heritage, the inheritance of Guqin and its culture in modern society is in deep danger. According to our study with 1,006 Chinese worldwide, Guqin as an instrument is not well-known and barely accessible. To better promote Guqin, we developed two interactive systems: VirGuqin and MRGuqin. VirGuqin was developed using a low-cost motion tracking device and was tested in a museum. 89% of 308 participants expressed an increase in interest in learning Guqin after using our system. MRGuqin was developed as a mixed reality learning environment to reduce the entry barrier to Guqin, and was tested by 16 participants, allowing them to learn Guqin signifcantly faster and perform better than the current practice. Our study demonstrates how technology can be used to help the inheritance of this dying art.