Suona performer Xue Tianlong and his night class courses recently made headlines as the classes gained popularity among young people in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Suona performer Xue Tianlong guides his student during a night class in Hangzhou, Zhejiang[Photo/Lv Zhiyao, Zhejiang Daily]

His courses, held at the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, surprisingly have 491 people signed up for a limited 16 slots.

Most of the students are in their 20s and 30s, all with great enthusiasm and affection for the traditional instrument.

The suona is a double-reed woodwind instrument that was first introduced to China from Arabia via the ancient Silk Road as early as the third century.

The instrument first appeared in written records during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was used as a horn to inspire soldiers in the battle.

Over the years, the suona has become widely popular and is commonly used at traditional ceremonies in rural China such as weddings and funerals, in combination with gongs and drums.

With its extremely loud and distinctively expressive sounds, the suona is often hailed as the "king of Chinese folk instruments."

In recent years, more suona performers have been working with musicians of different music genres, such as jazz and bossa nova, giving the suona a contemporary twist.

Young suona players are seen actively promoting the instrument on social media platforms, which has helped the instrument to experience a revival.

For example, a young man named Chuanzi adapted Norwegian DJ Alan Walker's hit "The Spectre" with suona. Another player, Asheng, adapted American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" for saxophone and suona.