Nanyin music (literally translated as "the music of the South"), a traditional opera sung in the Minnan (south Fujian) dialect, has existed for more than 1,000 years and is considered to be the most ancient musical art form in China. Also known as Nanguan or Xianguan, it has been ascertained to be among the oldest and best preserved musical art forms in the world, with its own unique musical and notation system, and is regarded as a "living fossil of ancient Chinese music."
The music dates back to the Han Dynasty (c. 206 BC - 220 AD). It originated as royal palace music but eventually established itself in southern China when court musicians migrated south as a consequence of civil wars. Nanyin musical practices and instruments have been preserved for centuries, incorporating the customs of Xianghege of the Han Dynasty, the Qingshengyue of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), and the seating position of the Tang Dynasty(618-907). Described as "serene and elegant", the music reflects a bygone age when the pace of life was unhurried, with two types: instrumental ensemble music to be played or sung, and songs. A typical piece may be as brief as two minutes or as long as forty minutes.
The main pitched instruments used in Nanyin music are dongxiao (a vertical flute), nanpa (a bent-neckpipa), erxian (a two-stringed vertical instrument), sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument and paiban (clappers). Featuring wind and string instruments such as the lute and the vertical flute, it has close ties with ancient imperial music,Buddhist music, poetic rhythm, and drama tune. For hundreds of years it has been handed down by oral instruction and spread from Quanzhou to other parts of Fujian,Taiwan Province, and among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia and Europe.
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