Craftsmen elaborate refined erhus in Meicun

Meicun town of Wuxi has a history of hand-made erhu for over 50 years. [Photo/chinanews.com]

Meicun town in Wuxi is famous for erhu, and regarded as the home of the traditional Chinese musical instrument often referred to as the "Chinese fiddle".

Meicun first began making the instruments in 1965 and today has 18 workshops that produce around 40,000 instruments every year.

The town's erhu makers account for nearly 25 percent of China's entire erhu market, and companies such as Gu Yue and Guang Guo are famous nationwide.

Erhus are made using red wood, black sandal wood, ebony or rosewood and require meticulous precision from skilled craftsmen.

A number of legendary erhu craftsmen produce the body, neck, tuning pegs and final as sample by hand in the erhu workshop every day in Meicun town of Wuxi.