En Dequan was born in Banggai Village, Mengyang Township in Yunnan Province in 1958, a region known for its illustrious tradition of the gourd flute where almost every household has one and 60 percent of the population can play them. Gen Dequan’s grandfathers and uncle were renowned gourd flutists, and his mother was a folk singer. At the age of nine, Gen started to learn to craft and play the gourd flute from his elders. During a 20 year stint at a sugar factory, he often spent ten hours a day practicing his gourd flute to the accompaniment of the roaring machines. Local people regarded him as an eccentric. In order to realize his dreams for the gourd flute, Gen Dequan gave up his job in the state-owned enterprise at age 40 and founded the Gen Dequan Studio to teach and develop the gourd flute. In 1989, his first gourd flute audio-visual production was released, causing a public sensation. He made breakthroughs in making gourd flutes by adding two additional holes, extending the range of gourd flute sounds, and creating new performing methods to expand the expressive force of the instrument. He is regarded as the highest representative of China’s gourd flute culture. He has performed and has taught in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. In recognition of his contributions to the humanities, Gen Dequan was conferred the title of “Gourd Flute Master” in his hometown, Lianghe County, and throughout