ABSTRACT
China’s tradition of music and musical instruments is a most ancient and highly developed one. Early Chinese sources attest the existence, among other instruments, of the seven-string zither, qin, from the most ancient times; later the qin functioned both as solo instrument – the preserve of the educated classes – and as one instrument of a ritual orchestra which accompanied ceremonial occasions. Apart from instruments originating in China, there are a number which are introductions from foreign countries but have become so much part of Chinese culture over the centuries that they can also be considered Chinese. They include the pear-shaped lute and the Chinese fiddle. Traditionally, the Chinese divided their musical instruments into categories reflecting the composition of their major sound-producing component, such as silk, bamboo or gourd. This chapter explores the general topic of how the Chinese regard the musical side of other performing arts forms.
