The ''bianqing'' (IPA: iːɛnʧɪŋ zh, s=编磬, p=biānqìng i̯ɛn˥ t͡ɕʰiŋ˥˩ is a traditional Chinese

percussion instrument A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

consisting of a set of L-shaped flat stone chimes known as ''

qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

'', played melodically. The chimes were hung in a wooden frame and struck with a mallet. Along with the bronze bells called ''

bianzhong ''Bianzhong'' () () is an ancient China, ancient Chinese List of traditional Chinese musical instruments, musical instrument consisting of a set of bronze bells, played melodically. China is the earliest country to manufacture and use musical chi ...

'', they were an important instrument in China's ritual and court music going back to ancient times. The instrument was imported to

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

(where it is called ''biên khánh''), and

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

(where it is called ''pyeongyeong''). In the 11th year of King

Yejong of Goryeo Yejong (11 February 1079 – 15 May 1122), personal name Wang U, was the 16th king of the Korean Goryeo dynasty. He was the eldest son of King Sukjong and Queen Myeongui, and succeeded to the throne upon his father's death. His reign is usu ...

(1116), it was imported from the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

. It is still used in Korean court and ritual music.

History

The bianqing existed before

Shang Dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou d ...

. The bianqing in the Shang Dynasty are made of stone, jade and bronze. The tiger shaped stone bianqing unearthed from the Yin tomb in the village of Wu Guan in Anyang,

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

Province, is made of marble and has a history of more than 3000 years. Its timbre is as clear as that of bronze musical instruments. During the

spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in History of China, Chinese history corresponding roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou (256 BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject t ...

Confucius Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...

was an expert in making bianqing. During the reign of the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...

of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

(1736-1795), the special bianqing (now collected in the temple of heaven in Beijing) were made of

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

Hetian Jasper, with a zigzag shape. In 1790, the Qianlong Emperor also made a set of bianqing with gold, and a set of

was used with it. Since the 1970s, China has successively unearthed large bianqing in Jiangling and Suixian counties of

Hubei Province Hubei is a province in Central China. It has the seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland provinces. Its provincial capital at Wuhan serves as a major politi ...

. Jiangnan ancient city of Jiangling, Hubei Province, is the capital of Chu state during the spring and Autumn period and

Warring States The Warring States period in Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and struggles for gre ...

period. A set of 25 chimes were unearthed here in 1970. A total of 41 chimes were unearthed from the

tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng The Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng () is an archaeological site in Leigudun Community (), Nanjiao Subdistrict (), Zengdu District, Suizhou (during the Spring and Autumn period called Sui County), Hubei, China, dated sometime after 433 BC. The tomb co ...

in suixian County, Hubei Province. In the second half of 1980,

Hubei Provincial Museum The Hubei Provincial Museum ( Chinese: 湖北省博物馆) is one of the best known museums in China, with a large amount of state-level historic and cultural relics. Established in 1953, the museum moved to its present location in 1960 and gaine ...

cooperated with Wuhan Institute of physics to copy this set of bianqing from the early Warring States period more than 2400 years ago. Its pronunciation is consistent with the phonetic inscriptions of the original bianqing．The bass is thick and high, the treble is clear, the timbre is beautiful and beautiful, and the range is up to three octaves. It can rotate the palace and play a variety of music. The bianqing has always played an important role in traditional Chinese music. In ancient times, it was used for large ceremonies and sacrifices. In modern times, it appears more and more in the performance in people's vision.

References

Chinese musical instruments Lithophones Korean musical instruments Vietnamese musical instruments {{Mallet-stub

History

See also

References