A graduate in architecture from Tongji University, Yang Zhijian is a contemporary expert in Guqin making and playing. He is a specially invited Guqin specialist, performer, and maker at the Forbidden City.
Representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage project "Guqin Making Techniques" in Shanghai, Yang has dedicated himself to the protection and promotion of Guqin culture. He apprenticed under two Guqin masters: Gong Yixian, a national-level inheritor of intangible cultural heritage and former president of the China Qin Society, and Professor Li Xiangting, a national-level inheritor of intangible cultural heritage and honorary president of the China Qin Society. Yang delved into the study of classic pieces and Guqin making techniques of the Guangling and Yushan schools.
Furthermore, he studied under the renowned dizi (bamboo flute) player and "Jiangnan Xiao King" Professor Dai Shuhong, devoting himself to the exploration of Guqin and xiao (vertical bamboo flute) performance art. Yang has been involved in guqin making and research for many years, successfully restoring several renowned ancient Guqins from the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. The tones of the Guqins crafted by Yang are characterized by their bold, ancient, profound, and reserved qualities, making them collectible artistic treasures.