SHANGHAI - China's musical instrument sector is witnessing rapid growth, authorities said, with its market value accounting for nearly one-third of the world's total.

Last year, the value of the market reached 47 billion yuan ($6.6 billion), said the China Musical Instrument Association at the Music China 2019 expo, which opened Wednesday in Shanghai.

China boasted nearly 6,000 musical instrument manufacturers in 2018, with the industry's main business income reaching 54.1 billion yuan, the association said.

"The rapid transformation and upgrading of China's musical instrument manufacturing industry over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up have promoted the development of music education and the culture of instrumental music in the country," said Wang Shicheng, director of the China Musical Instrument Association.

Meanwhile, the continuous progress made in music education in China has also effectively boosted the growth of the domestic market, Wang said.