History of the Music at the Central Plains
Culture evolved and grew for nine thousand years, playing a significant role for China’s traditional music in the world history of music. The music of China’s Central Plains deserves the fame of a resplendent star, conspicuous in the world.
Henan’s music has enjoyed unparalleled development. According to history, numerous records talk about the music of the Getian, the original tribes along the Yellow River, the music of Da Xia eulogizes Yu the Great that subdued the flood, and the Shang people that “Dance constantly at the palace and sing contently indoors”. The music of Zheng Wei, the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods, was most representative of the new-generation music, tirelessly entertaining the audience. In the expansive Central Plains, the vivid, enthusiastic folk music, well established, has maintained its dynamism for thousands of years.
The music instruments unearthed in Henan in recent years have drawn worldwide attention, because of the diversity and quantity. Especially, the instruments from the remote antiquity which account for over ninety-percent of the musical instruments found in Henan. They include the Jiahu Bone Flute, with a history of some nine thousand years, unearthed at Jiahu, Wuyang, the Pottery Drum and Pottery Xun, with a five-thousand-year history, the Te Chime that belongs to the Longshan Culture of about four thousa
nd years ago, the Bronze Bells of the Xia Palace of three thousand years ago, the Serial Cymbals and the Fish-shaped Chimes of the Yin Ruins, Anyang. As well as the Chime Bells of the State Ying and State Guo and from the Western Zhou Dynasty, the chimes, bells, drums, se, xiao, qin and sheng. The instruments are not only of unique configurations, but also have diapasons and standards much like that of modern music.
The exquisiteness of the craftsmanship and the harmony of the swings represent not only the superior standard of ancient Chinese music, but the high potential for research and performance. The variety of musical instruments spread in every respect and exhibits the wealth information of music available to learn from the remote antiquity. Chinese musical archaeologist has always been the treasured, constant pursuit for unaccountable Chinese musical archaeologists and temperament specialists to have such an imitated performance made utilizing those fine instruments.
