Zhouwo Village Symphony Orchestra comprises more than 30 villagers and plays when guests visit and on holidays. Photos by Wang Jing / China Daily

There is a village where the residents not only make musical instruments, but are also learning how to play. Chen Nan visits the little community in Wuqiang, Hebei province, that is intent on making music its signature brand.

For more than 20 years, Jia Shuzhao's days have been filled with the same soft sounds, the quick chafing of sandpaper on maple. Working rapidly, precisely, her hands a dusty blur, she sands violins all day, five days a week.

There is a rhythm to what she does, but you wouldn't call it music.

Jia, 44, laughs when she is asked if she feels any connection to the melodies these violins will produce one day.

"Basically," she says, "it's a living."

Jia earns about 2,000 yuan ($315) a month working for the largest musical instrument maker for export in China. Asked to name her favorite instrument, Jia replies that she has a curious love for the trumpet - the instrument of choice for Red Army soldiers portrayed in the old movies, as they blew the rallying calls for faith, hope and courage, she recalls.

It was because of this that Jia applied to join the Zhouwo Village Symphony Orchestra in January, when the local government called for volunteers.

Together with 30 other villagers, Jia learned to play the instruments after work, and in just two months, she can now play without mistakes.

"Although it is not a formal orchestra and all the members are over 40, we are very dedicated and we enjoy it," she says. The first song they learned to play was Song of Joy. And now they have a repertoire of four songs - including Socialism is Good and Welcome March Song.

During special occasions, such as when foreign guests and government officials visit the village and on holidays, the orchestra members put on red and white uniforms and perform at the entrance of the village.

The orchestra also takes part in the First Outdoor Music Festival of Zhouwo Village recently, which lasts until Sept 1 and features numerous Chinese rock bands and foreign guitarists. The orchestra starts playing every day at 3 pm, kicking off the rest of the program.

The festival is held on a piece of pasture that can hold about 10,000 people. It is a local government initiative to establish the village as a musical hub, along the model of the 798 Art Zone in Beijing with its collection of galleries and contemporary arts centers.

"Our goal is to make the village a place where musicians, record companies and rehearsal studios can congregate," says Tian Bin, one of the organizers of the music festival and the main planner behind the music village project. He has worked with Midi Music Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in China, for years, and has signed contracts with some indie bands to make the events at Zhouwo village attractive.

Tian says that as local villagers leave to live in the cities, many old courtyards in the village have been renovated and are available for rent. Many cafes, restaurants and instrument workshops have moved into the village. To encourage the moves, Tian says tenants enjoy the first year rent-free.

"Zhouwo village may not be well-known now, but as more and more indie musicians and music companies move in, the village will become a brand name," he says.

It is already starting. On the first day of the music festival, Beijing rock band Sky got on stage and announced: "This is a very special performing experience. We're singing in a village for the first time. We drove four hours to get here and although we were tired, we were so pleasantly surprised to find John Lennon posters hanging on the village walls!"

According to Tian, apart from financial subsidies from the local government, Jinyin Musical Instrument Company has also invested money and sponsored instruments for the festival. The company has also employed music teachers from Beijing to coach the villagers.

"I think it's an opportunity for the once-sleepy village to wake up and be known by the outside world," says villager Chen Xuekong, who also happens to be the owner and founder of the Jinyin Musical Instrument Company.

The villagers of Zhouwo once grew potatoes, rice and other crops. Today most of the village of 2,500 work for Jinyin Musical Instrument Company, producing more than 1 million instruments for export annually.

The 62-year-old Chen started the factory in 1984.

"When I got the contract to make 30 flutes for a Chinese-American businessman back in 1990, I had never even seen a flute," says Chen. "None in my family knew how to play music and the original idea was just to make a living by producing simple instrument parts."

But as his company expanded, Chen became more affluent and he wanted to help the villagers change their lives. He started to help the young learn music, and pursue higher education.

The idea of turning Zhouwo into a village full of music is still in its infancy as far as Chen and the local government are concerned, but they are very optimistic.

"The village was poor. Everything was cheap," says Chen. "With money villagers made from working at Jinyin, they can now eat well and live well. But it's not enough. How to keep the village developing and progressing is crucial. I may retire in two or three years, but the company and the musical tradition of the village will grow."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn.