Legend of Boya and Ziqi

The legend tells how, in the Spring and Autumn period, the lute master Yu Boya met the woodcutter Zhong Ziqi who alone understood his music of "lofty mountains and flowing water"; on Ziqi's death Boya broke his lute forever, and "zhiyin" came to mean a true kindred spirit.

Centered on Wuhan's Caidian and Hanyang districts and radiating from the Ancient Lute Terrace area, the legend lives on through oral telling, commemorative gatherings and the culture of the guqin lute.

The very word "zhiyin" springs from this tale, a classic emblem of sincere friendship in Chinese culture and the source of Wuhan's celebrated identity as a "city of soulmates."

The Ancient Lute Terrace area in Hanyang is the heart of the legend, with cultural commemorations held there each year.