Lia performed "Flowing Water" during the City of Boston's "Immigrant Heritage Month Virtual Celebration" in June 2020. Learn more about her story:

I am a musician, author, and educator who has played the Guqin over 20 years. Guqin is the most ancient Chinese stringed instrument, with a history of over 3,000 years. With more than 1,000 different finger techniques, Guqin is one of the most complicated instruments in the world to learn. I started to learn Guqin at the age of 9 in Chengdu in the Southwest of China. I also studied Guqin in Hong Kong in my early 20s. After graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, I published my award-winning Book "The Art of Guqin and the Book of Songs", which has been officially added to the collection of Hong Kong Public Library. Becoming aware of one’s own culture is the first step in learning and respecting about other people's culture. 

Like many others, I came to this country with an American dream that I will live a life to the fullest and make a contribution back to the society. Boston has various distinguished arts locations and the best of the best universities in the world. It is here I accomplished the first K12 classical bi-cultural education curriculum. I am determined to raise the awareness of the importance of youth having access to culture, art, religion, and history and to see their integration in education as a key to addressing international social issues, such as racial conflicts and gender inequality. Since Immigrant Heritage Month, I have become the Guqin Art Specialist in Boston where my American dream with my Asian instrument started.