A staff member arranges products at a string instrument manufacturer in Queshan County of Zhumadian City, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

　　ZHENGZHOU, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A knife turns gently against a scroll taking shape in a workshop. The craftsman blows softly, sending fine shavings dancing in a ray of sunlight, and the air is filled with the scent of spruce and maple.

　　The scene could easily belong in Cremona, Italy. Yet it is unfolding in Queshan, a county of about 374,500 people in central China's Henan Province that has quietly become one of the world's major sources of handmade violins.

　　The craft originated in 16th-century Italy and spread across the globe by the 18th century. In the 1980s, villagers from Queshan joined the tide of migrant workers heading to faraway cities. Many found jobs in violin factories in Beijing. Over the years, they built a reputation as master craftsmen. Some even ran their own workshops.

　　In 2015, Queshan began calling its natives home and laid plans for a violin industrial park. More than 60 luthiers returned to start businesses, assigning production roles to households where villagers can be trained and employed.

　　Unlike factory workers on city assembly lines, Queshan's craftsmen often specialize in a single stage, sawing timber, carving plates, fitting bodies, or cutting scrolls. They can also take components home and set their own hours.

　　He Ruixia is one of those returnees. "My hours are flexible, and I'm paid for each piece I finish," she said, bending over a violin while her husband assembled a cello nearby.

　　"Since I came back, I earn more and I'm happier," she said. "It's easier to look after my family and still get my work done."