China and Ireland may be more than 8,000 kilometers apart and vastly different in geography and demographics, but there are some things that bind the two countries.

Both are famous for their expat communities and the food and drink culture they have spread around the world.

Both are renowned for their artistic heritage and, when it comes to music, the sounds of Ireland hold a particular fascination for China.

An example of this is 65-year-old Li Yan, who is originally from Beijing and lived in Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, Jinzhou in Liaoning province, Luoyang in Henan province, and Guangzhou in Guangdong province, before settling in London where he is part of the city's vibrant Irish music scene.

His instrument of choice is the bodhran, a cross between a tambourine and drum that is a vertically held goatskin instrument played with a "tipper", a small, double-ended drumstick, that is an essential element of traditional Irish music.