Home / News Type Content Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Dunhuang Murals Demonstrate History of Chinese Music
Adjust font size:
The murals in the Dunhuang Grottoes in northwest China's Gansu Province, depicting musical instruments used over a period of about 1,000 years, trace the evolution of ancient Chinese music, according to experts.

Depicting musical instruments from ten dynasties beginning with the Northern Wei (386-534) and ending with the Yuan (1271-1386), the Dunhuang murals reflect the changes in the Chinese musical instruments.

The musical instrument in the Northern Liang period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-581) was very simple, said Zheng Ruzhong, music teacher and Dunhuang expert. Apart from orchestral and percussion instruments, most were fairly primitive, such as a trumpet shell and a special Chinese flute, which were capable of emitting only simple sounds. The Northern Zhou (557-581) and Sui (581-618) Dynasties had a greater number and variety of musical instruments. Gourd-like string instruments and columnar horns appeared during this period. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Five Dynasties (907-960), the variety of musical instruments had become rich.

The musical instruments depicted in Dunhuang are more varied than the folk instruments in use today. The "pipa", a string instrument with a fretted fingerboard, is the most common in Dunhuang murals. There are over 700 pipas in over 50 forms in the Mogao Grottoes, one of the three major sections of Dunhuang. Some of the instruments which appear in Dunhuang no longer exist.

The murals' images of players show the ways that music was played, said Zheng. In the Northern Liang period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-581), the performances were mainly solos, while in the Sui Dynasty (581-618), ensembles and bands appeared. During the Tang Dynasty, bands composed of over 20 players appeared.

The Dunhuang Grottoes, composed of the Mogao Grottoes, the Ancient Caves of the 1,000 Buddhas, and the Yulin Grottoes, are the largest treasure-house of Buddhist art in the world.

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2003)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- Dunhuang -- Grottoes in the Desert
- Earthen Pagoda on Top of Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang of Gansu Province
- Caves Feature Unique and Ancient Art of Stone Carving
- Law Passed to Protect Dunhuang Treasures in Northwest China
- Scientists Protect Dunhuang Grotto Frescos
- Unique Musical Instruments Reproduce Ancient Dunhuang Music
Most Viewed >>
- World's longest sea-spanning bridge to open
- Yao out for season with stress fracture in left foot
- 141 seriously polluting products blacklisted
- China starts excavation for world's first 3G nuclear plant
- 'The China Riddle'
- Irresponsible remarks on Hu Jia case opposed 
- China, US agree to step up constructive,cooperative relations
- 3 dead in south China school killing
- Factory fire kills 15, injures 3 in Shenzhen
- McDonald's turns to feng shui

Product Directory
China Search
Country Search
Hot Buys
主站蜘蛛池模板: 99久久精品国产片久人| 国产一级做a爰片久久毛片男| 东京热人妻无码人av| 永久免费看bbb| 国产亚洲成在线播放va| 亚洲综合久久一本伊伊区| 在线观看亚洲成人| 久久久久国色AV免费观看性色| 波多野结衣伦理电影在线观看| 国产亚洲综合激情校园小说| 97色在线观看| 女人国产香蕉久久精品| 久久强奷乱码老熟女| 污视频网站在线免费看| 全彩里番acg里番| 麻豆一区区三三四区产品麻豆| 国产精品久久香蕉免费播放| а√天堂资源中文在线官网| 日韩精品内射视频免费观看| 亚洲蜜芽在线精品一区| 萝li交小说合集| 国产精品免费一级在线观看| 一本一本久久a久久精品综合麻豆 一本一本久久a久久精品综合麻豆 | 福利视频导航网| 国内不卡1区2区| 中文字幕在线永久视频| 日本免费网站观看| 久久狠狠高潮亚洲精品| 暖暖日本免费在线视频| 亚洲综合天堂网| 男人边吃奶边摸下边的视频| 国产亚洲3p无码一区二区| 麻豆福利在线观看| 国产色在线观看| 99re最新视频| 在线观看无码AV网站永久免费 | 色婷婷.com| 国产男女猛烈无遮挡免费网站| eeuss在线播放| 扒开双腿疯狂进出爽爽爽动态图 | 日韩大片在线永久免费观看网站|