News
Township in E China turns into globally renowned violin manufacturing center
By Wang Hanchao, Bai Guangdi, People’s Daily
When farmers in Huangqiao township learned to carve the very first batch of violin scrolls 60 years ago, no one was expecting that the small township in Taixing, east China’s Jiangsu province would become a globally renowned manufacturing center of the stringed instrument.
Today, the township, though a latecomer to development, accounts for 70 percent of China’s violin production and over half of the world’s. Besides, it also produces around 700,000 guitars annually.
There are over 230 enterprises in the township engaged in violin manufacturing, and more than 30,000 people out of the township’s 200,000 residents are working in the industry.
The township’s history of violin making started with two former workers of the Shanghai Violin Factory, who returned to their hometown Huangqiao in 1962 and taught locals the skills of scroll carving – the basics of violin manufacturing.
The unplanned craft grew into a business. In 1971, an instrument factory was established in a township near Huangqiao to supply violin parts for manufacturers in Shanghai. Fourteen years later, the factory became a branch of the Shanghai Violin Factory, and the two signed a 10-year contract.
Li Shu, then manager of the factory, went to Frankfurt, Germany in 1992 for an international musical instrument exposition, where he found a big gap between his factory and its global peers. Therefore, he brought home violins made in Germany, Japan and South Korea and showed these foreign products to his employees, in the hope to improve the quality of their own products.
When he attended another exposition, he confidently introduced his violins to various producers and offered a competitive price of $15 for each violin. The appearance of the Huangqiao violin left a deep impression on the international instrument market.
In 1995, the 10-year deal with Shanghai Violin Factory expired and the factory started soaring. In that year, the factory made over 60,000 violins independently, outpacing some of the best violin manufacturers in Shanghai and Guangzhou to become the largest violin manufacturer in China.
Also in that year, the factory embraced a new opportunity by establishing a joint venture Finelegend with American company AXL Beats Instrumentals.
The cooperation straightened the sales channel. Over half of Finelegend’s products are sold to the European and American markets through AXL Beats Instrumentals. In addition, the international industrial standards are also brought to Finelegend through the American company.
Thanks to reliable quality and favorable prices, violins produced in Huangqiao township are welcomed by the international market. At the peak of its production capacity, Finelegend had over 1,100 employees and could produce more than 300,000 violins in a year. The joint venture nurtured more than 60 managers of violin factories in Huangqiao township. The township even attracted an enterprise from the UK to establish its factory in Huangqiao.
As violin learning got popular in China, more factories in Huangqiao started making middle- and high-end products for innovative development.
Today, almost every student in Huangqiao’s primary schools can play an instrument under the city’s musical influence. So far, over 85 percent of the students in primary and junior high schools in the township have learned to play an instrument, such as gourd flute, ukulele, guitar and violin. Even lobby managers and waiters in a random hotel can establish a mini band. Musical instrument performances are always seen on the street.
The instrument makers in Huangqiao, turning from farmers who knew nothing about music to workers making instruments that are popular around the world, are contributing to the music dreams of the next generation and making instruments more and more common in daily life.
Huangqiao is a major host of the international instruments playing day of China, which falls on every June 21. On this day, local people would play all types of instruments everywhere in the township, together with musicians from all over the world. It has developed into a festival for the township over the past seven years.
“Music will be a rigid demand in the future. We hope that instruments can be as indispensable as furniture in China, so that music would be brought to more and more people,” said Li Xiaochen, head of Finelegend.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain the status quo in a dispute over the party’s candidates emerging from the Benue State APC primaries for the 2027 general election.
The order was made on Thursday by Justice Inyang Ekwo during proceedings in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1429/2026, filed by Engr. Sesugh Akaagba and other aggrieved APC candidates from Benue State against the APC and INEC.
The plaintiffs had, through an ex parte motion filed on July 5, 2026, sought six interim reliefs, including an order restraining the APC from substituting its validly nominated candidates in Benue State through its June 29, 2026 correspondence, or any subsequent communication, to INEC, pending determination of the substantive suit.
They also sought an order compelling the APC to immediately transmit to INEC the names of candidates validly nominated during the primaries monitored by the electoral commission.
When the matter first came up on July 8, 2026, the court declined to grant the interim application immediately, directing both APC and INEC to appear and respond before any decision was taken. The matter was adjourned to July 16.
At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel representing the APC and INEC were present in court, while the plaintiffs were represented by Mohammed Ndarani, SAN, alongside his legal team.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo held that since issues had been joined by the parties particularly with INEC now before the court, the defendants were required by law to preserve the subject matter of the litigation pending determination of the substantive suit.
When counsel to the plaintiffs urged the court to caution APC and INEC against taking any further action that could affect the disputed list of candidates, the judge responded that it was “not a matter of advice but of law,” stressing that the defendants were bound to maintain the status quo.
The court consequently restrained APC and INEC from taking any action capable of altering the disputed list of candidates pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The defendants did not object to the restraining order.
At the commencement of proceedings, the court noted that all parties had voluntarily submitted to its jurisdiction by duly filing and exchanging their respective processes.
It held that there was no procedural or jurisdictional impediment to the expeditious determination of the substantive action, and directed that the matter be heard without further delay.
In furtherance of the objective of preserving the res and safeguarding the efficacy of the judicial process, the court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit, restraining any act or omission capable of prejudicing the rights of the parties or rendering the proceedings nugatory.
The court further directed that INEC be served forthwith with the originating and all consequential processes.
The effect of the subsisting order is that INEC is restrained from tampering with the existing list of candidates pending final determination of the suit, and from receiving, recognising, or acting upon any purported substituted list of National Assembly candidates from Benue State submitted by the APC.
The matter was adjourned to July 21, 2026, for hearing of the substantive suit.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former First Lady Patience Ibifaka Jonathan recently celebrated a significant family milestone as they attended the graduation ceremony of their son, Ariara Goodluck Jonathan, at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.
The proud parents joined family members and well-wishers to witness Ariara receive his degree, marking the successful completion of his academic programme. The occasion was filled with joy as the Jonathan family commemorated the achievement, highlighting the importance they place on education and personal development.
The graduation ceremony attracted warm congratulatory messages from friends, associates, and admirers, who wished the graduate continued success in his future endeavours.
The Following names joined the political family of Sen. Dr. George Akume today after leaving the sinking Alia ship .
Under the leadership of Barr. Emmanuel Jime .
The are ;
Chief Nelson Alapa
Douglas pepe SAN senatorial Aspirant zone A,
Engr Peter Ashiekaa
QS Clement Beetseh
Former commissioners
Joy Luga
Ann itodo
Barr martins Shaagee
Miss Dorcas
Prof Usar Joseh
Prof Cephas Tushima
Chief Patrick Idoko
Hon Patience Akor
Hon Fred Idoko
Hon Lawrence Ekpo Onoja Jnr
Hon Andrew Abah
Hon Agbo Innocent Ikwumonu
Hon Simon Omachoko
Hon David Egboja
Dr John Garba
Among together,
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