Saxophones are instrumental to Tianjin village life

Adolphe Sax, the Belgian inventor of the saxophone, who would have been 203 years old on Monday, probably never imagined the instrument would one day be the lifeblood of a small Chinese village.

Sidangkouzhong village in Tianjin is prospering thanks to its instrument-making industry. It has earned the moniker “saxophone village” as it produces more than 10,000 saxophones a month.

“Almost every family in my village has someone who knows how to make saxophones,” said Zhang Guomin, the village’s Party chief.

Invented in 1840, saxophones have a complicated structure that cannot be produced solely by machinery. Much of the process must be completed by hand.

According to Zhang, the village has about 70 instrument factories with a total production value of about $45 million last year.

The industry has taken more than four decades to develop. In the 1970s, a small workshop was established to produce instrument components for a larger factory in Tianjin. More factories opened after China’s reform and opening-up policy started in 1978. And by the 1990s, almost every family had an instrument workshop.

In the 2000s, the village began to focus on saxophones, Zhang said. Many small factories were transformed into modern companies, and some even attracted

Almost every family in my village has someone who knows how to make saxophones.” Zhang Guomin, Sidangkouzhong village’s Party chief

foreign investors.

Zhang is involved in a joint venture with an annual production value of more than $10 million. In line with other factories in the village, over 95 percent of his products are exported.

Saxophones have not only brought wealth to the village, but also created enthusiasm for studying music.

“Many of our students are interested in playing the saxophone, so we established a band to train them,” said Liu Huanyu, principal of the village primary school.

According to Liu, young farmers can often be seen playing saxophones in the fields in summer.

Zhang said the village is now trying to up its manufacturing game and satisfy niche demand in a diverse global market. “Producing high-end and tailor-made saxophones and other instruments is the way forward,” he said.