History and Development
The origins of Chinese music can be dated back to distant antiquity. Approximately 3000 years ago, European music was experiencing its first rustlings of life whereas a complete musical theory and sophisticated musical instruments began to appear in China. The orthodox ritual music advocated by Confucius was largely responsible for this Chinese interest in and mastery of music.
The imperial Music Bureau, first established in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), was greatly expanded under the Emperor Han Wu Di (140-87 BC) and charged with supervising court music and military music and determining what folk music would be officially recognized. Because of commercial contacts with Central Asia, foreign music entered China and modified as well as improved Chinese music.
During the Tang Dynasty, dancing and singing entered the mainstream, spreading from the royal court to the common people. With the introduction of foreign religions such as Buddhism and Islam, exotic and religious melodies were absorbed into Chinese music. By the time of Emperor Xuanzong (713-755 A.D) of the Tang Dynasty, the court organized the Pear Garden (Li Yuan in Chinese) Academy song and dance troupe which cultivated a large number of musicians and laid a firm foundation for Chinese music.
In the Song Dynasty, original opera such as Zaju and Nanxi was performed in tearooms, theatres, and showplaces. Writers and artists liked it so much that Ci (Chinese spelling), a new type of literature resembling lyrics, thrived. During the Yuan Dynasty, Qu (Chinese spelling), another type of literature based on music became popular. This was also a period when many traditional musical instruments were developed such as the Pi Pa, the flute, and the zither.
During the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644 - 1911), the art of traditional opera developed rapidly and diversely in different regions. When these distinctive opera styles were performed at the capital, artists combined the essence of the different styles and created Beijing opera, one of three cornerstones of Chinese culture the other two being Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese painting which continue to be appreciated even in modern times.
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