This study examines gender representation in middle school music textbooks in mainland China, aiming to explore portrayals of male and female musicians and potential biases within music education. Inspired by China's recent commitment to gender equality as outlined in its legal and educational policies, this research scrutinises the gender representation of male and female through the depiction of gender in textbook imagery in Chinese Middle School Music Education Textbooks. Utilising content analysis on 2475 images and song information extracted from 10 music textbooks spanning various publications, the research unveils notable gender differentials across distinct categories. Our research indicates while both men and women are depicted in professional music activities such as singing and performing at nearly equal levels, women are notably underrepresented in roles such as conductor and composer. Additionally, females dominate popular music genres, while males dominate instrumental roles. These align with existing literature on gender stereotypes in the music industry and educational materials. This unequal distribution implies that gender equality may not be adequately emphasised in the Chinese educational setting. This research contributes to the discourse on gender equality in education by highlighting ongoing challenges in achieving balanced gender representation in music education materials.