Chinese Guqin

中国古琴

Views

Synopsis

The guqin, also known as the seven-stringed zither, is one of China's oldest plucked string instruments with a history of over three thousand years. The典故 of "high mountains and flowing waters meeting a soulmate" originates from the guqin story of伯牙 and子期. In 2003, it was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and in 2006, it was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage. It is regarded as the foremost of the ancient six arts and a symbol of the literati's integrity.

Overview

The guqin, also known as the seven-stringed zither, is China's oldest and most culturally significant plucked string instrument, boasting a history of over three thousand years. The guqin is not merely an instrument; it is a vessel for the spirit and philosophical thought of traditional Chinese literati. Ancient scholars ranked the qin first among the four arts of qin (music), qi (strategy board game), shu (calligraphy), and hua (painting), and playing the qin was considered the most elegant pursuit for self-cultivation. The timeless tale of "High Mountains and Flowing Waters" meeting a soulmate has made the guqin an eternal symbol of friendship and understanding in Chinese culture. In 2003, the art of Chinese guqin was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it one of China's earliest world-class intangible cultural heritage entries.

The form of the guqin is unique and elegant. The body is approximately 130 cm long and 20 cm wide, with a soundboard made of paulownia or cedar wood and a backboard made of catalpa or nanmu wood. The surface is strung with seven silk strings (modern versions also use steel strings) and inlaid with thirteen mother-of-pearl dots called hui, which mark the harmonic positions. The guqin's form is rich with cultural symbolism—its length of three chi, six cun, and five fen symbolizes the 365 days of a year; the curved soundboard represents the roundness of heaven; the flat backboard represents the squareness of earth; and the thirteen hui symbolize the twelve months plus an intercalary month.

Historical Origins

Legends of the guqin trace back to ancient times. It is said that either Fuxi or Shennong initially created a five-stringed qin, representing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Later, King Wen of Zhou, while imprisoned in Youli, added a string (the "Wen" string), and King Wu of Zhou added another string (the "Wu" string) during his campaign against King Zhou of Shang. From then on, the guqin was standardized with seven strings, hence the name "seven-stringed zither."

By the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the guqin was already a highly sophisticated instrument. The most famous qin master of that era was Yu Boya. The story of him and Zhong Ziqi—"High Mountains and Flowing Waters" meeting a soulmate—is one of the most touching tales of friendship in Chinese culture. Boya excelled at playing the qin, and Ziqi excelled at listening. When Boya played with mountains in mind, Ziqi would say, "How towering, like Mount Tai!"; when Boya thought of flowing water, Ziqi would say, "How vast, like the rivers!" After Ziqi's death, Boya, grieving the loss of his soulmate, broke his qin and severed its strings, never playing again. This story made the guqin synonymous with soulmates and friendship.

Ancient Masterpieces

Piece	Era	Content
High Mountains and Flowing Waters	Pre-Qin	Story of Boya and Ziqi; later divided into "High Mountains" and "Flowing Waters"
Guangling San	Han-Wei	The eternal masterpiece played by Ji Kang before his execution
Wild Geese Alighting on the Sandbank	Ming Dynasty	Scene of autumn geese landing on a sandbank, conveying a lofty and serene意境
Three Variations on the Plum Blossom	Eastern Jin	Uses the plum blossom's resilience to symbolize the noble character of literati
Three Partings at Yangguan	Tang Dynasty	Adapted from Wang Wei's poem "Song of Weicheng," theme of farewell
Mist and Clouds over the Xiao and Xiang Rivers	Southern Song	Guo Mian expresses grief over the fallen nation through imagery of shifting clouds and water

"Guangling San" is the most legendary piece in Chinese music history. During the Three Kingdoms period, Ji Kang, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, was sentenced to death for offending the Sima clan. Before his execution, he calmly played "Guangling San" and sighed afterward, "Guangling San is lost from this day forward!" However, the piece did not truly vanish; it was passed down through generations and remains one of the most legendary guqin compositions in Chinese music history.

In 1977, the United States launched the Voyager 1 spacecraft carrying a golden record, which included "Flowing Waters" performed by Chinese guqin master Guan Pinghu. This piece was sent into space as a representative of human civilization.

Cultural Spirit

The status of the guqin in Chinese culture far surpasses that of a mere instrument. Ancient literati played the qin not for performance but for self-cultivation. The poet Bai Juyi wrote, "Entering the ear, bland and tasteless; pleasing the heart, latent with emotion," describing precisely the reserved and subtle aesthetic of guqin music. The guqin's volume is not loud, and its tone is ancient and profound, making it most suitable for solitary play in a quiet environment or for appreciation with a few close friends. This artistic philosophy of self-entertainment rather than entertaining others deeply reflects the traditional Chinese literati spirit of introspection and the pursuit of spiritual freedom.

The guqin also has profound connections with Chinese philosophy. Daoism holds that "the greatest music has the faintest notes," meaning the most beautiful music lies not in ornate technique or loud volume but in artistic conception and lingering charm. Guqin music pursues precisely this aesthetic realm of "sound beyond the strings" and "meaning beyond the rhyme."

Modern Inheritance

In the 20th century, the guqin once faced near extinction, with fewer than a hundred people nationwide capable of playing it. However, entering the 21st century, alongside the revival of traditional culture, the guqin experienced a rebirth. After its UNESCO inscription in 2003, the number of people learning the guqin grew rapidly, with guqin studios and training classes opening across the country. At the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the guqin's stunning appearance allowed the world to hear the sound of this ancient instrument.

Today, the guqin has become one of the important symbols of the revival of traditional Chinese culture. More and more young people are beginning to learn the guqin, with guqin societies and performance activities in major cities. Cross-border integration of guqin music with modern music has also given rise to many innovative works. This ancient instrument, carrying three thousand years of civilization, is now radiating new vitality in contemporary society.