China Popular Itineraries |
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Guqin, a seven-stringed plucked instrument similar to the zither in some ways, was originally called Qin or seven-stringed qin, (for it is a seven-stringed plucked instrument). The body is of a long shape (130cm long, 20cm wide, and 5cm high). Its voice box is of wood quality. The surface is usually made of a piece of tung wood or China fir wood. On one side of the surface, there are thirteen jade or gold badges. The bottom is made of Chinese catalpa wood, with two vent holes, one being big, the other being small. The player plays the strings with right hand and presses the strings with left hand. Four-octaved diapason makes its tone colourful.
Qin is the most representative instrument in the traditional Chinese mu-sic. Its distinctive tone and quality embodies purity, subtlety, tranquillity and profundity which are the characteristics of the traditional artistic and esthetic conception. Therefore "qin" is ranked high in the four pursuits of the Chinese literati: qin-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting. Many great thinkers and artists in Chinese history were also famous as excellent qin-players, such as Confucius, Cai Yi and Ji Kang. There are several great masters of qin-playing in the modern times, most famous of whom are Wang Lu, Guang Pinghu, Zha Fuxi, Zhang Ziqian, Wu Jinglu, and Gu Meigeng. The most fa-mous pieces of musical work of Qin are Wild Geese Falling down on the Sands, Flowing River, Guang Ling San and Xiao Xiang Water and Cloud. |
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