Suit-Wearing Guzheng Player Who Busks At Hawker Centres Says He Doesn’t Feel The Heat When He Performs

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While many of us are trying to hide from the searing heat with forecasts hitting highs of 35°C, it seems busker Tan Chu Yuan is completely unfazed by the sweltering weather.

We think?

The 34-year-old was spotted serenely playing the guzheng in a suit at around noon on May 3 at Beo Crescent Market.

A video posted to Instagram by a netizen captured the surreal scene and hilariously compared it to being in palace drama while having his lunch.

But yikes! With the lunch crowd packing the hawker center, isn’t it even more humid for Chu Yuan during that time?

We are guessing it is part of his image. In his Instagram description, he calls himself “the man in suit x guzheng”.

When 8days.sg spoke to the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) graduate on the phone, he tells us that his way of dressing is a form of respect towards himself and his craft.

“I want to bring the formal setting [of a guzheng performance] into the streets and let people feel that they are in a concert hall when they are watching me,” he says.

When asked if he has ever considered wearing something more weather appropriate, Chu Yuan chuckled, noting that he has been asked the question frequently, especially from his audience.

“When I start playing, I don’t notice the heat. I feel when your mental state is calm, then you won’t be bothered by the heat,” he says

However, Chu Yuan says the furthest he has gone to adapting was wearing a polo shirt underneath his suit though he has since ditched the idea.

“I will not give up the suit regardless of the weather as it just feels more complete,” he insists.

In fact, he said some people will show their support by standing in the sun with him.

So how does Chu Yuan beat the heat?

“I have a mini fan gifted to me by an auntie who sells such electronics during one of my performances. Guess she pitied me when she saw that I was performing under the sun,” he says.

Aww.

Chu Yuan busks around five times a week at different locations around the island, and shares that he earns about S$1-2K a week from the gigs.

He also teaches the guzheng at Zheng Professionals, a music school founded by his semi-retired dad, who also plays the Chinese instrument.

“I always tell people that I was probably interested in the guzheng when I was in my mum’s womb as my dad constantly played when she was carrying me,” he laughs.

Chu Yuan who is married, also has a younger brother who is musically inclined though his sibling’s taste is drastically different and prefers hard rock and metal music.