Fine-tuning chime bells: A road less travelled

Liu Younian does the tuning works in a workshop of Wuhan Mechanical Technology Institute Co Ltd in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, on December 1, 2016. [Photo by Zhu Lingqing/chinadaily.com.cn]

It is hard to imagine that thousands of bianzhong, or chime bells, the exquisite ancient musical instrument, were cast in such a shabby nook in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province.

Stepping into the dilapidated workshop, Liu Younian, the legendary bianzhong tuner of Wuhan Mechanical Technology Institute Co Ltd, said he has seen too many visitors and customers express surprise when they see the factory.

"The bianzhong displayed in your office is worth more than your office," a visitor once joked.

The workshop is so small that some workers have to eat lunch standing up, and the odor is overpowering.

"Many college students come to our factory to learn bianzhong manufacturing skills from me, but very few of them want to work here, which is mainly due to our poor condition," Liu said.