The LiuQin is the closest Chinese instrument to the mandolin. I think one of the tunings they use is GDAE. I wonder if anyone has bought one either from an importer in the US or directly from China and if there are some that are decent playable instruments. I don't think I need a professional model like the one this player in the video plays but a decent one to fool around with. It looks and sounds like they bend the strings down toward the fretboard. I just want to try one for old time music. :)
I was going to post this in one of the regional forums but there are none for Asian instruments or music. I thought there was a general World Music forum but I guess i just dreamt it. This piece seems to be the "Orange Blossom Special" of liuqin music. Lots of YouTube videos of "The Garder After Rain."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPQEK-wW33Q
This sounds more like bluegrass to me (music starts at 47 seconds):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rPktgbLa7g