Violin 'variations' in the village

In Donggaocun, Beijing Pinggu East China Musical Instruments, established in 1988, is the largest violin manufacturer in North China. Its production includes violin, viola, cello, bass and erhu. Liu Yundong, the representative in charge, says:"In the past, every three violins in the world came from Donggaocun village. Each violin was worth only 100 to 200 yuan ($28.6), and 80 percent of them are low-end products. We have shifted our production focus on developing fine musical instruments. Now a Pinggu violin can be sold for up to 70,000 or 80,000 yuan, and the improvement in quality is naturally favored by high-end customers."