There're two kinds of strings used on a guqin, namely steel nylon strings and silk strings. The former is developped in the modern time whereas the latter is a traditional kind of strings. The steel nylon strings are steel strings with nylon covered and the silk strings are made of pure silk. The reason why steel strings are more and more popular in the modern time include that silk strings have very few production volume and that steel strings have their own benefits. Let's talk about the benifits of steel nylon strings firstly below.

1. Steel nylon strings are more durable. One can use a set of steel nylon strings for years without the need of changing strings, which is more economic.

2. Steel nylon strings are more stable, which can stand the change of temperature and humility, suitable for modern concert performace. 

3. Steel nylon strings have enough tensility, which can easily reach the pitch you want. 

4. Steel nylon strings produce higher sound, enlarging the range of the place where the guqin is played and increasing the number of audience. Higher sound also brings more oppotunity of the guqin being played together with other musical instruments.

5. Steel nylon strings have brighter sound, which is beneficial to the popularization of guqin.

Even though steel nylon strings have this many benefits, in some respects they are still not comparable with silk strings. Now let's talk about the strong points of silk strings.

1. Unlike steel nylon strings which can't be used again when broken, the silk strings can still be used when broken. You just need to knot it up. 

2. Steel nylon strings come with more or less metal feeling while silk strings touch softer.

3. Unlike steel nylon strings which are too smooth, silk string can bring a speical sound when moving your fingers along the strings, which is a special lingering charm for the guqin. 

4. Silk strings produce more mellow sound, which better imitates humans' sound and better expresses the motion of a person. 

5. Silk strings better bring an imagination of the old time, better carry the historical, cultural and artistic connotation of the guqin.