Music director of a popular TV program showcasing the history of many of China's cultural relics, is trying to promote folk music by making breakthroughs in composition.

Guan Dazhou, music director of "National Treasure", which has become a smash hit since it debuted in 2017. Coincidentally, the show also helped rekindle people's interest in another cultural gem, China's traditional music.

Set to glitzy lights, dazzling backdrops and priceless relics, the traditional musical instruments meant as mere accompaniment to the show are making a new wave of China Chic fervor.

"I always believe that soundtrack music is difficult to make. It's unlike songs, which can use lyrics and the appeal of human voice to directly convey meanings and emotions. Therefore, visualization is particularly important. For a composer, it's actually very easy to write a melody, because composing is a matter of discipline and skill. But writing something visual depends all on imagination and experience. The same melody could convey quite different meanings and emotions if it's played at different tempos with different instruments. So we may need to take the needs for emotions and scenes into account before we choose the instruments," said Guan.

Guan said the "National Treasure" has given him a coincidental opportunity to write some popular music, but Guan said he will continue to make breakthroughs to promote folk music among the young people.

"However, I always want to make breakthroughs and compose in styles that modern people prefer. I also use trendy elements in folk instrument performance, so the audience can hear diverse melodies and feel the emotions that I want to express - whether it's powerful, beautiful or lovely. And I want to use different instruments to convey all these emotions," said Guan.

"I think these cultural traditions of our nation need to be passed on. Only when young people like them can we really pass them on. We are trying our best to write music that they like," he said.