Chords of China

Having over 2500-years of history, the guzheng is never too archaic to integrate into modern society. In fact, it has marvelous musical capability that it can establish a musical intercourse with western opera; it works well with ancestral and new-age genres, and it symbolizes the quintessence of eastern civilization.

The drum might be as old as the Chinese history itself. According to recorded legend, ceramic drums appeared in the farthest reaches of antiquity. Drums have been part of almost every aspect of Chinese social life, including life at court, in religious ceremonies, in farming, and during war. The percussionist Zhu Jianping from the China National Traditional Orchestra joined us to talk about how he's combining the traditional sound of the Chinese drums with modern elements to keep it vibrant and relevant today.

Erhu is a daily accompaniment to the lives of a great many Chinese people. It is the most common member of the huqin, which is a family of Chinese bowed string instruments.

In this episode, you will hear heartbreaking erhu music “The Moon over a Fountain” and the story behind this famous piece. Huqin instrumentalist Zhang Xuguang will lead us to the music world of huqin.

From China’s Warring States period more than 2,400 years ago, the Zenghouyi chime bells were unearthed in 1978, the year that marked the start of a new chapter in China’s history. The discovery of the bells revealed a design that had been lost to history and enhanced Chinese musicology. It has witnessed the changes of China over the past 40 years.