As early as the Warring States Period from the 5th century BC to the 3rd century BC, the guzheng was widely circulated in the Qin state (now Shaanxi). The origin of the guzheng is still inconclusive. Due to historical changes and regional influences, local styles and playing techniques have been different, and thus various different guzheng schools have been formed today, making the development of guzheng more and more prosperous.

As far away as the Qin State (Shaanxi Province) in the Warring States Period, the zheng was already popular, and it was called "Qin Zheng" at that time. Since then, it has spread to Henan, Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Inner Mongolia and other places.

Before the Han and Jin Dynasties, the zheng had twelve strings (see "There are twelve strings" in Wei Ruan Li's "Waizheng Fu").
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the zheng was increased from twelve strings to thirteen strings (see Tang Cen Shen's "Qin Zheng Song, Sending Nephew Xiao Zheng Back to Beijing" "If you don't hear the Qin Zheng sound, it is the most bitter, and the five-color strings are wrapped around thirteen columns").

After the Ming and Qing dynasties, it gradually increased to fifteen strings. The "Da Qing Hui Dian" published in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty recorded: "The fifteen strings of Qin Zheng are like a serenity...".

From the end of the Qing Dynasty to the beginning of the Republic of China, a new 16-string zheng appeared. This 16-string first is the traditional zheng that has been popular in China for nearly a hundred years.

After 1949, the zheng, an ancient folk musical instrument, has successfully developed an S-shaped twenty-one-string nylon-steel-wound zheng on the basis of the reform of its shape and string quality through the scrutiny and research of performers and relevant experts. Due to the enlarged resonance body and the increase of the number of strings, this kind of zheng obviously enriches the sound effect and the thickness of the pronunciation. The zheng that has been passed down through the ages is even more euphemistic and beautiful, full of charm. The S-type twenty-one-string nylon-steel-wound zither is a popular zither in China and around the world.

In the 21st century, a group of young guzheng players have emerged, including Wang Zhongshan, Zhai Zhirong, Qiu Ji, Yuan Sha, Jiang Zhoujian, Liu Le, Bao Dong, Song Xinxin and other teachers. Over the years, these performers have visited Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other regions and countries. Make the guzheng musical instrument to the world.