如何正确告诉你的歪国友人它是什么？.note¶
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Guqin (an ancient Chinese lute), which is also known as Qixianqin (seven-stringed instrument), is the
oldest musical instrument in the Chinese zither family. It is said that Guqin was invented by Fu Xi, a
legendary emperor in China's remote antiquity. Also, it is in the first place of “The Four Arts of the
Chinese Scholar”, Qin, Qi(a strategic boardgame), Shu (calligraphy) and Hua (painting).
We often describe Guqin with two statements of “three thousand”：
Firstly, Qin has a long history of 3000 years. As The Book of Songs goes, “Lute and psaltery, play
music bright for the bride fair and slender.” It was Guqin that was used to express all kinds of moods
and feelings. The number of strings was originally five. But later in the Chou period, two great
emperors added one respectively, modifying it into a seven-string（sevenstring） model, which was
consolidated in the East Han period, and remained till today.
Secondly, the history of Guqin has remained approximately 3000 compositions, such as Flowing
Water, Melody For Orchid In Jieshi Key, A Music From Guangling, The Lament, Sunny Spring, A
Tune of Eighteen Beats From Tartar Reed Flute, etc. It was these music pieces （these music who）
showed us the development of traditional Chinese music.
Lao Zi said that “the truths are always the simplest.” Accordingly, the design of Guqin follows nature.
On one hand, the upper board of Guqin is concave while the bottom board is flat, symbolizing the
round sky and the square earth. The length of it comes from the number of the days in a year, while
the number of “Hui” from that of the months. It can be said that Guqin players are always facing the
universe.
如何正确告诉你的歪国友人它是什么？（转载）
On the other hand, the two rectangular perforations on the bottom board are called the “Dragon
pond” and the “Phoenix pond”respectively, while the strings are supported by the “Mount
Yue”（hardwoodbridge to support the ends of seven strings） and the “Dragon’s
Gum”（GumofDragon）（the tuning point of seven strings from the upper board to the bottom and
finally tied to the feet）. Mount Yue symbolizes the mountain, while the strings stand forwater. That is
to say, Guqin reflects the saying, “Man is aspirated by the mountain, and is moved by water”, which
lies in the core aesthetics of ancient Chinese scholars.
Our ancestors believed that the music of Guqin was sacred. A noble man learns truth and harmony
from Guqin in order to conform his body and temper to the naturally truth. So this instrument is not
simply an art, but a Study.
On November 2003, Chinese Guqin Music was classified on the UNESCO Representative List of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Guqin and its music are getting more and more attention and recognition in China over the past few
years. We look forward to the day Guqin can be well known around the world and find its bosom
friends.