Who knew a TV show could make people fall in love with instruments that are thousands of years old? But that’s exactly what happened with The Untamed, a Chinese drama that has fans worldwide reaching for traditional instruments like the dizi and guqin.

The show uses these ancient instruments to tell its story in a way that touches hearts across cultures. Think of it like this: each main character has their own special instrument that reveals deeper layers of who they are.

Take Wei Wuxian, one of the male leads. He plays a black bamboo flute (dizi) called Chenqing (which means “telling the whole story”). When he plays, the dark, deep sounds speak of his complicated life and feelings. His flute becomes like another character in the story, expressing what words cannot.

Then there’s Lan Wangji, the other male lead, who plays the guqin – picture a long wooden instrument with seven strings that you play while sitting down. He named his instrument after himself, which tells you how personal it is to him. When he plays, the peaceful sounds match perfectly with his quiet, thoughtful personality.

But here’s the amazing part: after people watched the show, they didn’t just enjoy the music – they wanted to learn it themselves. Suddenly, social media was full of people sharing videos of themselves learning these instruments. Young people from all over the world were looking up “how to play the dizi” or “guqin lessons” online.

The guqin became especially popular because it’s not just an instrument – it’s a piece of Chinese history. For thousands of years, scholars and thinkers in China have played it to find peace and wisdom. When people heard it in The Untamed, often playing alongside the dizi in important scenes, they felt that same sense of calm and wanted to know more.

This isn’t just about music anymore. The show has created bridges between cultures. Fans from different countries now gather online to share their love for these instruments. Some watch live performances of traditional Chinese music. Others have even started taking lessons, hoping to create those beautiful sounds themselves.

The Untamed did something special – it showed the world that ancient instruments can tell modern stories. It proved that music from thousands of years ago can still touch people’s hearts today, whether they’re in Beijing or Boston, Shanghai or São Paulo.

More than entertainment, the show has become a doorway. Through it, people are discovering the beauty of Chinese culture, one note at a time. And perhaps most importantly, it shows how stories and songs can bring people together, no matter where they’re from or what language they speak.

In a world that often feels divided, The Untamed reminds us that music speaks a language everyone can understand. These ancient instruments, through a modern TV show, are creating new connections and friendships across the globe, proving that some things – like the power of music to move us – never really change.

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