Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

Guqin, also called the seven-stringed zither, is China's oldest stringed instrument with a history of some 3,000 years. Attested by early literary sources and corroborated by archaeological discoveries, this ancient instrument is inseparable from Chinese intellectual history, particularly during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD).

Represented as China's foremost solo musical instrument tradition, Guqin playing developed as an elite art form practiced by noblemen and scholars in intimate settings. Furthermore, Guqin is one of the four arts -- along with calligraphy, painting, and an ancient form of chess -- that the old Chinese scholars were expected to master.

In 2003, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization) proclaimed China's ancient Guqin music art as a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of humanity (a UNESCO program that ensures that the best of every country's traditions is preserved and developed as well as made known to the outside world).

Description

Gumeans "old" andqinmeans "musical instrument." Historically, Guqin was rendered as qin in most ancient texts. Because of its long history, the old musical instrument has in the last 100 years been widely called Guqin.

Guqin is a long and narrow sound box made of wood, 130cm long, 20cm wide, and 5cm thick. It has seven strings and thirteen marked pitch positions. By attaching the strings in ten different ways, players can obtain a range of four octaves.

The three basic playing techniques are known as san (open string), an (stopped string), and fan (harmonics). San is played with the right hand and involves plucking open strings individually or in groups to produce strong and clear sounds for important notes. To play fan, the fingers of the left hand touch the string lightly at positions determined by the inlaid markers, and the right hand plucks, producing a light floating sound. An is also played with both hands: While the right hand plucks, a left-hand finger presses the string firmly and may slide to other notes or create a variety of ornaments and vibratos, resulting in delicate and expressive sounds.

Guqin is a typical musical instrument, representing both Chinese philosophy and traditional musical culture. It combines a vast repertory of refined melodies and playing techniques. According to tradition, twenty years of training are required to attain proficiency. The fingering techniques are known as recital, rubbing, plucking, concentration, floating notes, and harmonious notes (same measure, five measure, and octave). When Guqin is played, one can easily get the message of the traditional cultural values of clarity, fineness, simplicity, and far-sightedness.