Tiger Roaring and Dragon Howling is not another martial arts flick. It's the name of an ancient Guqin, or Chinese zither. The precious instrument is now striking a chord with auctioneers in Beijing. The Guqin's romantic name is an ancient Chinese metaphor describing the uplifting experience of listening to a zither.

In ancient times, the Guqin was always linked to Confucian scholars, because they believed this instrument could help voice the fictional adventures passionately pursued in their minds. This particular instrument was made during the Song Dynasty, about 800 years ago. The famous calligrapher, Zhao Mengfu, was the first scholar to own it. Later, the seven-stringed instrument was handed down to other famous scholars, who continued to use it to accompany their intellectual wanderings. Now, it is regarded as a precious antique, but it still has a crystal clear sound.

On May 16, the instrument will go under the hammer in Beijing. Experts predict it will set a new record, fetching a higher price than another famous Guqin which sold for 9 million yuan, or more than one million US dollars at an auction last year.

(CCTV.com April 30, 2004)