The Ancient Music of Guqin

Lovers of the guqin (qin or seven-stringed zither) in Beijing now have a new place to listen to this elegant music and to meet others who are also interested in the most ancient musical instrument of China, which has a history of more than 3,000 years: the King Talent Hotel.

The hotel, located just west of the East Second Ring Road in Chongwen District, has assumed a responsibility to promote traditional Chinese culture, and the guqin is one of their focuses. 

In ancient times, the ability to play the qin and weiqi (a Chinese game called Go in Japan) and to write calligraphy and paint were the four most-respected skills of the literati, but playing the qin was first among the skills. Many renowned figures in Chinese history, including Confucius (551–479 BC), a great ideologist and educator of the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC), and Li Bai

(AD 701–762), a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907), could play the guqin. The qin is also featured in many historical documents and stories. It is an important cultural symbol of the Chinese civilization. 

On May 3, 2009, some master guqin players and producers gathered with more than 150 music lovers at the Guqin Refined Scholar Assembly at the King-Talent Hotel, playing classical music on the guqin. Two hours of listing to the ancient music and its history can be a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games impressed the whole world with profound and magnificent Chinese culture: the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China (compass, gunpowder, papermaking and movable type printing), Kunqu Opera, the Silk Road, and ancient Chinese music. When a huge scroll of Chinese painting was unveiled at the Bird’s Nest during the Opening Ceremony, the guqin solo performance moved millions of spectators around the globe. The player was Chen Leiji.

Chen’s guqin performance, which was themed “Taigu yiyin,” (“Sounds from Ancient Times”) was the only solo performance during the Opening Ceremony of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. According to Chen, Taigu Yiyin was the name of a guqin made during the Tang Dynasty, which was donated to the Central Conservatory of Music by the offspring of its collector, Zhan Chengqiu. At first, Chen intended to play with the real Taigu Yiyin during the opening ceremony. However, the ancient guqin was so fragile, he used a replica.   

On May 3, Chen played “Taigu Yiyin” again on the Guqin Refined Scholar Assembly. “I was excited to play it again at the King Talent Hotel after almost a year,” said Chen, who was born in Shanghai in 1967 and majored in guqin at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. After learning piano, music composition and command in France, Chen returned to Beijing in 2001 and became the chief conductor of the Youth Folk Orchestra of the Middle School Attached to the China Conservatory of Music. 

“I’m so glad we have the Guqin Refined Scholar Assembly at the King-Talent Hotel, which has given us a quiet and refined environment for us to play the guqin and to communicate,” Chen said.

Joining Chen at the assembly were Wang Peng, a master of guqin producing who produced the replica Taigu Yiyin that was played by Chen at the Olympics, and Yang Qing, a highly regarded guqin and lute musician and an educator and vice-president of the Chinese Folk Instrumental Music Society.

Since 2000, Yang has invited his students and friends who love the guqin to perform and communicate together. He calls the group the Guqin Refined Scholar Assembly; they have met more than 100 times since 2000. During the assemblies, musicians play classical music, recite poems, sing songs and communicate on their common interest, the guqin.

“Our musical assembly at the King-Talent Hotel is a breakthrough. The hotel has offered a platform for guqin lovers to share the fantastic music and their stories together. The tranquil and elegant environment of the hotel is especially suitable for us to play the guqin,” said Yang.

According to Wang Peng, in our modern society, where people are spending too much time and concern on matters of money and what they can gain, guqin music can bring them back to a peaceful mind and understanding of themselves. 

The Guqin Refined Scholar Assembly will be held at the King-Talent Hotel the first Sunday of every month from now on. To allow more people to become acquainted with this ancient Chinese musical instrument, the assembly is open to the public for free. The King-Talent Hotel also held courses on guqin, and students of all levels are welcome to participate. 

The King-Talent Hotel is also restoring the 600-year-old buildings of the Xizhao temple, providing a wide range of service facilities, including a vegetarian restaurant, tea house, SPA, lobby bar, a business centre and functional halls. Guests can experience a unique and satisfying combination of ancient Chinese style and modern comfort brought by modern technology at the hotel.

 

Guqin Training Class

Time: 6:30–8 p.m., every Thursday

Location: Inside the King Talent Hotel

Tel: + 86 10 6716 3935; 13671301662 (Teacher Liu)

 

Guqin Refined Scholar Assembly

Admission: Free

Time: 3 p.m., the first Sunday of every month

Location: Inside the King Talent Hotel

Tel: + 86 10 6716 3935; 13671301662 (Teacher Liu)

 

King-Talent Hotel

Tel: +86 10 6711 9999, ext. 5819

WWW: http://www.king-talenthotel.com

Address: 15 Xizhaosi Zhongjie,

Chongwen District

金台夕照会馆，崇文区夕照寺中街15号