SHANGHAI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's musical instrument sector is witnessing rapid growth, authorities said, with the country becoming the world's second-biggest market for the hobby.

Last year, the value of the market reached 44.8 billion yuan (6.5 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for about one-third of the world's total and coming in second only to the United States, according to the Music China 2018 expo, which concluded Saturday in Shanghai.

The market for musical education is even bigger, with its value close to 100 billion yuan, according to figures released at the expo.

Many famous international instrument brands have set up plants in China amid the market boom, according to Zeng Zemin from the China Musical Instrument Association.

"Many Chinese people are beginning to choose high-end musical instruments, creating a huge opportunity for these companies," Zeng said.

Zeng expects new growth for the imports of foreign musical instruments in the fourth quarter of this year and throughout 2019 thanks to lowered tariffs.