This lantern slide shows International YMCA College, now Springfield College, alumnus Wen Lin Wang (class of 1921), who was born in Peking, China. He is standing in the middle of a gymnasium, most likely the West Gymnasium in Judd Gymnasia, wearing traditional Chinese garb, and playing a sanxian. The sanxian is a Chinese lute with three strings, a long fingerboard, and no fret. The body is traditionally made from snake skin stretched over a rectangular resonator with rounded edges. In the late 20th century, a four-stringed version was developed. Similar to the banjo, the sanxian has a dry, somewhat percussive tone and loud volume. Most musicians play with a plectrum (i.e. pick), but some use their fingernails. Although the sanxian has historically been one of the most popular Chinese folk instruments, recent years have seen a major decline in the number of classical sanxian players. This has caused some to worry that the instrument’s rich playing traditions may be lost forever. Text on border reads, "YMCA College Springfield Mass. S. C. Wong. Chinese Student."
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