Nanyin, a performing art that combines singing and instrumental music, is one of the oldest surviving musical genres in China. It is mainly found in southern Fujian province and the regions of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. It was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Since the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD), migrants from the Central Plains began introducing music culture into the southern Fujian region centered around Quanzhou, blending it with local folk music to create Nanyin, which is further divided into Quanzhou Nanyin and Xiamen Nanyue.

Nanyin performances typically feature distinctive instruments such as the pipa (a crooked-neck lute), dongxiao (a bamboo flute), erxian (a two-stringed instrument), sanxian (a three-stringed instrument), and clappers. There are over 2,000 instrumental and vocal pieces in Nanyin, with lyrics mainly drawn from Tang legends, folk tales, and stories of characters from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties (960-1644). Nanyin melodies are beautiful and deeply emotional, with a slow and elegant rhythm.

Nanyin, with its long musical history and diverse cultural influences, is considered a "living fossil" of Chinese music history. It holds significant academic research value in musicology, anthropology, linguistics, folklore studies, and the history of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. Nanyin has become a spiritual link for overseas Chinese and Taiwan compatriot, playing a positive role in enhancing national identity.