This is a list of currently existing qin societies, of which some are learned societies.
There is a difference between qin schools and qin societies. The former concerns itself with transmission of a style, the latter concerns itself with performance. The qin society will encourage meetings with fellow qin players in order to play music and maybe discuss the nature of the qin. Gatherings such as this are called yaji (雅集, literally "elegant gatherings"), and take place once every month or two. Sometimes, societies may go on excursions to places of natural beauty to play qin, or attend conferences. They may also participate in competitions or research. Of course, societies do not have to have a strict structure to adhere to; it could mostly be on a leisurely basis. The main purpose of qin societies is to promote and play qin music. It is often a good opportunity to network and learn to play the instrument, to ask questions and to receive answers.
Most qin schools and societies are based in China, but during the twentieth century many overseas societies began to form. Although qin study was initially confined to China in ancient times, countries like Japan also have their own qin traditions via import from China, but are extremely small in scale. The Tokyo Qin Society was recently founded, opening up more opportunities for qin study in Japan. Japan has published a qinpu (qin tablature collection) in the past, known as Toukou Kinpu or Donggao Qinpu 【東臯琴譜】. Other qin societies exist in North America and Europe, which are less formal than their counterparts in mainland China, such as the North American Guqin Association and the London Youlan Qin Society.
China, etc Society Name (English) Society Name (Chinese) Location or base Date of founding Website Remarks Northern China Beijing Guqin Yanjiu Hui 北京古琴研究會 Beijing November 1947 Peking University Guqin Society 北京大學古琴社 Beijing September 2001 Shandong Deyin Qinshe 山東德音琴社 Jinan 6 November 2003 Shandong Guqin Yianjiu Hui 山東古琴研究會 Shandong Yuanyin Qinshe 元音琴社 Taiyuan 1921 Songfeng Qinshe 松風琴社 Dalian July 2000 Shenyang Guqin Yianjiuhui 沈陽古琴研究會 Shenyang March 1980 Jinjiang Qinshe 錦江琴社 Chengdu 1979 The main qin society out of many in the Chengdu/Chongqing area. Bohai Qinshe 渤海琴社 Shijiazhuang Tongshan-Xian Guqin Xuehui 銅山縣古琴學會 Cuizhou 1987 Southern China Jinyu Qin Society 今虞琴社 Shanghai 1934 The principal qin society in the Shanghai area. Has many activities and preeminent members of the years. Mei'an Qinshe 梅庵琴社 Nantong 1929 Website Xiaoyiao Qinshe 逍遥琴社 Hefei 1999 Xihu Qinshe 西湖琴社 Hangzhou 1987 Wumen Qinshe 蘇州吳門琴社 Suzhou November 1986 Guangling Qinshe 廣陵琴社 Yangzhou 1915 Mengqi Qinshe 夢溪琴社 Zhenjiang Yushan Qinshe 虞山琴社 Changshu Revived 1984 Jinling Qinshe 金陵琴社 Nanjing 1934 Bozhou Guqin Yianjiuhui 播洲古琴研究會 Guizhou 1986 Guangdong Guqin Yianjiuhui 廣東古琴研究會 Canton October 1980 Foshan Guqin Society 佛山古琴研究會 Canton December 2006 Website Hong Kong Deyin Qinshe 德愔琴社 Hong Kong 1998 Founded by students of Tsar Teh-Yun. Tianting Qinshe 天聽琴社 Hong Kong July 1959 Tang Yishe 唐藝社 Hong Kong Taiwan Haitian Qinshe 海天琴社 Taiwan Hezhen Qinshe 和真琴社 Taiwan Yingzhou Qinshe 瀛洲琴社 Taiwan 1999? Website Tianmu Ge Sixian Qinshe 天穆閣絲弦琴社 Taiwan Chinese Guqin Study Group – Taipei Qin Hall 中華古琴學會-臺北琴道舘 Taiwan 2010s Website Taiwan Qin Society 台灣琴會 Taiwan 2014? Website Taiwan Guqin Association 台灣古琴協會 Taiwan 2010s Website Xiangeng Qinshe 弦耕琴社 Taiwan 2015? Other Chinese locations and to-be-classified Youtong Qinshe 友桶琴社 Wuxing Qinshe 吳興琴社
Asia Society Name (English) Society Name (Chinese) Location or base Date of founding Website Remarks Japan Tokyo Qin Society 東京琴社 Tokyo Mainly formed by overseas Chinese students studying in Tokyo. Kamakura Qin Society 鎌倉琴社 Kanagawa 2002 Founded by Muka Fushimi. Restructured in 2013 into the Chushi Qin Society after Fushimi moved to Kyoto. Chushi Qin Society 疇祉琴社 Kyoto 2013 Website Formerly of Kamakura Qin Society. Japan Society for Promotions of Guqin 日本古琴振興会 Tokyo 2015 Website Singapore "He Yue Zhai" Guqin Music and Arts Centre "龢樂齋"古琴館 Singapore October 2013 Website Malaysia Dalü Guqin Music School 大吕琴院 Kepong, Malaysia 2010 Website Thailand Siam Guqin 元韻山房 (สำนักหยวนอวิ้นซานฝาง) Bangkok 2010 Website Founded by Chatchol Thaikheaw who studied under various Chinese players, including Li Xiangting.
North America Society Name (English) Society Name (Chinese) Location or base Date of founding Website Remarks United States of America North American Guqin Association 北美琴社 San Francisco 1997 Website One of the earliest qin societies in the West headed by Wang Fei. Activities are wide-ranging. North America Mei'an Society 北美梅庵琴社 Boston 2009 Website Founded by Yu Shuishan. New York Guqin Association 紐約古琴研究會 New York City 2015 Website Founded by Liu Li. New York Guqin School 紐約梅庵琴苑 New York City 2013 Website Founded by 葉時華 Shihhua (Judy) Yeh, first New York based qin school to teach qin in the formal way. New York Qin Society 紐約琴社 New York City 2000 Website A more formal qin society based in New York. Canada Jiuyi Qinshe 九嶷琴社 Vancouver 2005 Website University of Toronto Guqin Association 多倫多大學古琴社 Toronto 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20060501041347/http://guqin.sa.utoronto.ca/ (defunct) Restructured into the "University of Toronto Chinese Cultural Aesthetic Society (UTCCAS)" since August 2007, guqin aspects again restructured in August 2008. Toronto Guqin Society (TQS) 多倫多古琴社 Toronto 2008 Website Restructured from UTCCAS's guqin operations in August 2008, with this group oriented toward the Toronto community.
Europe Society Name (English) Society Name (Chinese) Location or base Date of founding Website Remarks United Kingdom London Youlan Qin Society 倫敦幽蘭琴社 London, UK July 2003 Website A formal and very active qin society catering for UK qin players. Organises a guqin summer school each year. Mainland Europe Berlin Boya Qin Association 柏林博雅古琴社 Berlin, Germany Autumn 2016 Friends of Guqin : Amics del Guqin 古琴之友 Spain; internet-based September 2004 Website (defunct) Though not officially a society, their activities were mostly internet-based and also translated qin books into Spanish. They have been inactive since Aug 2011 and presumably defunct.
Oceania Society Name (English) Society Name (Chinese) Location or base Date of founding Website Remarks Australia Australian Guqin Society Incorporated 澳大利亞中國琴會 Melbourne Feb 2018 Guqin in Sydney 悉尼古琴同好會 Sydney Mid-2010s Website JianZhai Guqin Sydney 简斋古琴 Sydney 2021 Website
Others Society Name (English) Society Name (Chinese) Location or base Date of founding Website Remarks Guqin – 古琴 (a.k.a. International Guqin Society) 國際琴社 International; internet-based 22 October 2006 Website The largest online Facebook group mainly catering for English-speaking qin players residing in the West.
See also Guqin Contemporary guqin players Traditional Chinese musical instruments International Directory of Guqin Teachers
References
Please see: References section in the guqin article for a full list of references used in all qin related articles.