Peng Jingxuan plays the traditional Chinese instrument guzheng in Paris, France. Photo: Courtesy of Peng Jingxuan

Under the Eiffel Tower, beside the Arc de Triomphe, along the bustling streets of Bordeaux, and in the streets of Cannes and Barcelona, it can be caught sight of a young Chinese woman dressed in traditional hanfu attire, plucking the strings of a guzheng (a classical Chinese zither), attracting audiences from around the globe with her melodies.

Peng Jingxuan, the performer, is a 27-year-old student studying the harp at the ENM de Villeurbanne in France. Her performances combining classical elegance and contemporary innovation blend the sounds of the guzheng with genres ranging from rock and opera to rap and jazz. Her repertoire includes international pieces like the "Croatian Rhapsody" and "See You Again," and Chinese classics such as "The Bund."

Peng's street performances often draw local street artists to join her impromptu sessions, with French children eagerly attempting to play guzheng alongside her. Spectators sway to the music, some capturing the moment on their cell phones while others simply take in the auditory feast.

Since uploading her performance videos to online platforms in 2018, Peng gradually gained more fans from the internet. Currently, she has about around 950,000 followers on YouTube and more than 10 million followers on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

"For me, music knows no boundaries," Peng told the Global Times. "I take pride in spreading Chinese traditional culture through music, and it's a responsibility I gladly embrace."