8. Bianzhong

The bianzhong is an ancient Chinese musical instrument consisting of a set of bronze bells, played melodically. They were once hung on a wooden frame and struck with a mallet. The bianzhong first appeared in the Shang Dynasty when 3 to 5 bells were put together to make music. At that time, the bianzhong was unique in shape and the surface was decorated with line patterns. Evolving into the Western Zhou Dynasty, 8 bells together made a minor third or major third sound range and the bianzhong was widely used in imperial banquets. In the late Spring and Autumn period, more bells were added to make a complete set. After the Qin and Han Dynasties, the shape of the bianzhong was transformed as most of the bells were round and each bell made only one sound.

After 500 years of popular usage, the bianzhong began to decline in popularity. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the bianzhong was exclusively used in high cultures and was rarely used in everyday life. Until the Song and Qing Dynasties, few people knew about the techniques of making the bianzhong and its sound quality decreased.

We Recommend:

First session of Visiting Program for Young Sinologists 2014 ends with success	Bikini show held at water park in Xi'an	Picturesque Qingcheng Mountain