Interviews

Dialogue with Jinmali: Forced by Chinese Teachers to Become a High-End Brand Guest: Xia Changlin, Head of the Jinmali Carbon Fiber Violin Case Brand

A Lesson from a Chinese Teacher: When First Entering the Domestic Market, Many Detail Issues Were Pointed Out, Making Me Realize That International Brands Position Their OEM Factories at the Mid-to-Low End

The Case Is Not an Accessory: A Conversation with Xia Changlin, Head of the Jinmali Carbon Fiber Violin Case Brand

Xia Changlin, head of the Jinmali carbon fiber violin case brand, thoroughly deconstructed this issue in an entire conversation: a violin case is not an accessory—it is the first line of protection for the instrument.

Violin Temple · Violin Temple Treasure Hall First Interview: This episode features Master Liang Zhiling and his son, from a four-generation luthier family.

I dream of these violins even in my sleep.

VSA Tone Award winner Liang Zhiling is the first Chinese luthier to receive this honor in the quartet category. He advocates a "free love" wood selection philosophy—arguing that the pairing of the back plate and top plate is more important than the grain pattern, inspired by repeated observations of master violins in Italian museums. His family began repairing violins in Xiguan, Guangzhou in 1935, and the craft has been passed down through four generations—an extremely rare lineage in China's lutherie industry. After his father's health was compromised by long-term inhalation of toxic varnish, he developed an eco-friendly varnish that has passed EU SGS certification, allowing the wood to breathe and enhance sound projection. He confronts a key industry issue: a Chinese-made violin of the same quality sells for 100,000 yuan, while a high-imitation Italian violin sells for 400,000 to 500,000 yuan—China does not lack craftsmanship, but lacks pricing power and a brand system. Violin Temple is establishing circulation records and soundprint archives for resident luthiers, gradually building a valuation system for Chinese makers. His lutherie creed: "To make a great violin, you need to understand sound—but you don't necessarily have to know how to play."