Guqin

The guqin is the oldest plucked string instrument in China. Crafted with a soundboard usually made of the Chinese parasol tree (firmiana simplex) wood and strings made of silk, the instrument has an elegant appearance and produces a distinctive sound that is deep, lingering, ethereal, and calming. It has long been considered an instrument of great subtlety and refinement. In the early 20th century, it was named as such to differentiate it from the piano, which arrived from the West.

The culture of the guqin in China has a history that spans over 3,000 years. According to ancient books, the invention of the guqin was associated with tribal leaders in ancient China. Legend has it that Fuxi and Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) were involved in its creation, while Zhong Yi, a musician of the Western Zhou period (1046-771 B.C.), is the earliest recorded professional player. The story of musicians Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi in the Warring States period is a popular legend about music and friendship. The two musicians made their acquaintance and developed their friendship through the guqin pieces Lofty Mountains and Flowing Rivers. The guqin table, as a result, has been regarded as a symbol of friendship.

The guqin has long been regarded as the crown of all musical instruments in traditional Chinese culture, topping the list of the four essential arts that Chinese scholars were expected to master, the other three being chess, calligraphy, and painting. The pure, serene, elegant and refined character of guqin music reflects the literati's extraordinary and unique approach to life. It spread to other East Asian countries during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties and has since further spread throughout the world with the more recent migrations of the Chinese. In 1977, as a quintessential art form in traditional Chinese music, a piece of guqin music was taken aboard the Voyager 2 spacecraft sent by the United States into space, spreading the elegant sound of Chinese classical music throughout the vast universe. In 2003, the guqin and its music were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

古琴

古琴是中國最古老的一種彈撥樂器，一般由梧桐木做箱體，用蠶絲做弦，造型優美，音域寬廣，音色深沉，余音悠遠，代表高雅之趣。20世紀初，為了與西方傳入的鋼琴相區別，才被稱作“古琴”。

中國古琴文化源遠流長，距今有3000多年歷史。古籍記載琴的創制與上古時期部落聯盟首領有關，有伏羲作琴、黃帝造琴等傳說。西周時期的鐘儀是現存記載中最早的專業琴人。戰國時期音樂家俞伯牙和鐘子期“《高山》《流水》覓知音”的故事，成為廣為流傳的佳話美談，琴臺也被視為友誼的象征。

琴是中國古代文化地位最崇高的樂器，位列“琴、棋、書、畫”四藝之首，自古以來一直是許多文人必修的知識技能。古琴因其清、和、淡、雅的音樂品格寄寓了文人超凡脫俗的處世心態。隋唐時期，古琴傳入東亞諸國；近代又伴隨著華人的足跡走向世界各地。古琴音樂作為中國古典音樂的精髓和人類代表性藝術成果，曾鑄刻在1977年美國“旅行者”號行星探測器的鍍金唱片里，在茫茫宇宙中傳播中國古典音樂的高雅之聲。2003年，“古琴藝術”列入聯合國教科文組織人類非物質文化遺產代表作名錄。