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Naxi ancient music is believed to have its roots in Chang'an ancient music.

At a national conference on the protection of traditional Chinese culture held in April this year, Xi'an ancient music, along with 28 other items, was included in the second phase of the National Folk Culture Protection Project. Meanwhile, a special team was set up in Northwest China's Xi'an City to begin the preservation work on the dying art form.

'Living fossil of Chinese ancient music'

Xi'an ancient music is a form of music played by folk musicians in the areas surrounding Xi'an. Having originated in Chang'an City (today's Xi'an in Shaanxi Province) during the prosperous Tang Dynasty about 1,300 years ago, the music was mainly popular in downtown Xi'an and its subordinate areas, such as Chang'an, Zhouzhi and Lantian in ancient times.

A performance of Xi'an ancient music

Also called "Xi'an Drum Music", "Chang'an Ancient Music" or "Chang'an Drum Music", the music features rich contents, a large-scale band, many repertoires, a complex musical structure and fine melodies; it is thus called the "living fossil of Chinese ancient music".

Xi'an, as one of China's most important historical cities, is the site of the glorious Tang Dynasty (618-907) capital of Chang'an -- the prosperous Eastern terminus of the central Asian trade routes. Xi'an's ancient music has been described as a "living fossil" descended directly from specific musical genres of the Tang and Song (960-1279) dynasties.

The music has an inseparable relationship with religion (Buddhism and Taoism) and is only performed for religious -- never commercial -- purposes. Although it is one of the most important surviving types of Chinese music, surprisingly, the genre has been largely neglected by both performers and researchers. The tradition is, at present, carried on by only a few elderly musicians.