Guqin was among the earliest plucked instruments in China, traditionally known simply as qin, a general term for many musical instruments. It is listed as the first of the four arts, followed by Chinese board games (qi), calligraphy (shu) and painting (hua).

As a nirvana for scholars and artists such as the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, a group of painters in the 18th century who rejected orthodox methods in favor of a more individualistic style of painting, Yangzhou has its own illustrious story of a connection with the guqin that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The poet Li Qi, in his The Song of Qin (qin ge), tells of listening to a qin performance at a farewell banquet. In this poem the phrase "Guangling guest" specifically refers to the accomplished guqin players, the presence of Guangling guqin players being regarded as underlining the host's hospitality and high status.

Yangzhou's guqin culture reached its zenith during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when many Yangzhou musicians rose to fame because of their mastery of the instrument, in practice and in theory. The most renowned, Xu Changyu, founded the Guangling school of guqin in Yangzhou. His style of guqin playing features a subdued tone and a flexible rhythm, and displays a taste for simplicity and subtlety.