Craftsman keeps musical tradition thriving

URUMQI — In a small courtyard dappled with light under a grape arbor, 65-year-old Nurdun Esmayil was making handmade folk musical instruments with his family and apprentices. Although he cannot read music, his keen ears have enabled him to make and play these instruments with precision.

Hailing from a village in Xinhe county in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Nurdun Esmayil is a master craftsman specializing in making Uygur folk musical string instruments such as dutar, tambur and satar.

An important spot along the ancient Silk Road up to 2,000 years ago, the county is known for traditional Kuqa music and dance, named after the ancient kingdom of Kuqa.