Wu Zhaoji also known as Xiangquan, was born in Hunan in 1908, China. At the age of 4, his family moved to Suzhou, where he lived the rest of his life until his death in 1997. Raised in a musical family, he learned the guqin from his father, and in 1921 became a student of Wu Jinyang. From a young age, he enjoyed sports and martial arts. In 1928 he began studying the Yang Style of Tai-chi with Chen Weiming. One year later, he became a student of Li Shangyuan, who is a student of Hao Weizeng a descendent of the Wu Style Taichi family. After many years of study he created his own style of tai-chi based on Daoism.
Wu Zhaoji is popularly revered as an archetypal "literatus" qin player; his smooth, detached, intellectual, yet vigorous style made him one of the most highly-regarded amateur players in the late 20th century. The "Wu" school of qin playing currently centered in Suzhou takes him as a leading figure; noted players to transmit his style include Wang Duo and Yuan Jung-ping.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Yellow Emperor
Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary Chinese sovereign and who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. One of the legendary , it was written in the ''Shiji'' by historian Sima Qian that Huangdi reigned from to . He emerged as a chief deity of Taoism during the Han Dynasty . The legend of his victory in the war against Emperor Chi You at the Battle of Zhuolu is seen as the establishment of the Han Chinese nationality.
Among his many accomplishments, Huangdi has been credited with the invention of the principles of Traditional Chinese medicine. The ''Huangdi Neijing'' was supposedly composed in collaboration with his physician Qibo. However, modern historiographers generally consider it to have been compiled from ancient sources by a scholar living between the and dynasties, more than 2,000 years later.
His interest in natural health and preventing and treating diseases, according to historical sources, meant he lived to the age of 100, and attained immortality after his physical death.
The historian Ji Yun asserts he was also the first to take .
In the legend, his wife taught the Chinese how to weave the silk from silkworms, and his historian created the first Chinese characters.
His conception was supposed to have been signaled by a thunderclap on a clear day by the Heavens.
Legend says that Huangdi became the leader of his tribe which bore the totem of a bear. His tribe went to war with a neighboring tribe bearing the totem of a bull, headed by Yandi. Huangdi, through his superior military and leadership skills won the war and subdued Yandi's tribe. The two tribes united and became one. Legend then says that the Chinese civilization began with these two tribes.
Huangdi's people were then threatened by a tribe under the leadership of Chi You, who was said to have magical powers and had 81 brothers, each having 4 eyes and 8 arms wielding terrible sharp weapons in every hand. Huangdi called upon 8 neighboring tribes to join forces with him and sent the combined army to meet Chi You and his brothers. The two great armies fought for days without a clear winner. Just as Huangdi's army began to turn the tide of battle, Chi You breathed out a thick fog and obscured the sunlight. Huangdi's army fell into disarray and could not find its way out of the battlefield. At this critical moment, Huangdi invented the South Pointing Chariot, and ordered its construction on the battlefield. With the South Pointing Chariot, Huangdi was able to lead his army out of the fog. Chi You then conjured up a heavy storm. Huangdi then called upon the Gods who blew away the storm clouds and cleared the battlefield. Huangdi then was able to defeat Chi You and his tribe once and for all.
With this great victory, Huangdi not only safeguarded his own tribe, but the tribes of his allies. The 9 Tribes joined together as one tribe under the leadership of Huangdi.
Huangdi lived to 100 years of age. He was said to have had 25 children, 14 of whom were sons. Of these 14 sons, 12 chose last names for themselves. It is also said that all the noble families of the first 3 dynasties of China, Xia, Shang, and Zhou were direct descendants of Huangdi.
When Huangdi had lived to 100 years of age, he arranged his worldly affairs with his ministers, and prepared for his journey to the Heavens. One version said a Dragon came down from the Heaven and took Huangdi away. Another version said Huangdi himself turned into half-man and half Dragon and flew away.
The South Pointing Chariot was a 2 wheeled war chariot that had a pole in the center of the carriage. A small figurine stood on top of the pole. A set of gears connected the 2 wheels to the pole, so that no matter which way the chariot turned, the figurine on the pole always pointed at a preset direction, usually South. The South Pointing Chariot did not require magnetism to work, and in models was depicted as the earliest form of the differential gearing system as found in modern automobile transmission systems.
He is also said to have played a part in the creation of the Guqin, together with Fuxi and Shennong, and to have invented the earliest form of the Chinese calendar, and its current sexagenary cycles are counted based on his reign.
Huang Di captured Bai Ze atop Mount Dongwang. The beast described to him all the 11,520 types of monsters, shapeshifters, demons, and spirits in the world. Huang Di's retainer recorded this in pictures, which later became the book "Bai Ze Tu", which no longer exists.
In legend, Ling Lun gave the emperor flutes tuned to the sounds of birds, which is said to be the foundation of Chinese traditional music.
Huangdi is an important figure in Chinese religions, particularly Taoism and Confucianism.
He introduced the earliest form of martial arts into China, because he was also good in medicine, and he knew that the art was beneficial for both good health and self-defense.
Ye Shuxian associated the Yellow Emperor with the bear legends among northeast Asia people and the Dangun legend.
One explanation is that Huang Di was euhemerized from a mythical god during the early Zhou Dynasty into a legendary emperor during the late Zhou dynasty—his legendary deeds embellished along the way.
*Huang Di appears as a god in the strategy game made by Sierra Entertainment, now a division of Vivendi. In the game he is a patron of hunting and has the skills needed for leading men into battle.
*There have been TV dramas made in mainland China depicting the life of Huang Di. However, their historical accuracy is questionable. They are semi-fictional because their focus is mainly on martial arts, Wuxia and drama.
*Huangdi serves as the hero in Jorge Luis Borges' story, "The Fauna of the Mirror." British fantasy writer China Miéville used this story as the basis for his novella "The Tain", which describes a post-apocalyptic London. "The Tain" was recently included in Miéville's short story collection "Looking For Jake."
*The popular Chinese series for PC, Xuanyuan Jian, revolves around the legendary sword used by Huang Di.
Among his many accomplishments, Huangdi has been credited with the invention of the principles of Traditional Chinese medicine. The ''Huangdi Neijing'' was supposedly composed in collaboration with his physician Qibo. However, modern historiographers generally consider it to have been compiled from ancient sources by a scholar living between the and dynasties, more than 2,000 years later.
His interest in natural health and preventing and treating diseases, according to historical sources, meant he lived to the age of 100, and attained immortality after his physical death.
The historian Ji Yun asserts he was also the first to take .
Legends
In the legend, his wife taught the Chinese how to weave the silk from silkworms, and his historian created the first Chinese characters.
His conception was supposed to have been signaled by a thunderclap on a clear day by the Heavens.
Legend says that Huangdi became the leader of his tribe which bore the totem of a bear. His tribe went to war with a neighboring tribe bearing the totem of a bull, headed by Yandi. Huangdi, through his superior military and leadership skills won the war and subdued Yandi's tribe. The two tribes united and became one. Legend then says that the Chinese civilization began with these two tribes.
Huangdi's people were then threatened by a tribe under the leadership of Chi You, who was said to have magical powers and had 81 brothers, each having 4 eyes and 8 arms wielding terrible sharp weapons in every hand. Huangdi called upon 8 neighboring tribes to join forces with him and sent the combined army to meet Chi You and his brothers. The two great armies fought for days without a clear winner. Just as Huangdi's army began to turn the tide of battle, Chi You breathed out a thick fog and obscured the sunlight. Huangdi's army fell into disarray and could not find its way out of the battlefield. At this critical moment, Huangdi invented the South Pointing Chariot, and ordered its construction on the battlefield. With the South Pointing Chariot, Huangdi was able to lead his army out of the fog. Chi You then conjured up a heavy storm. Huangdi then called upon the Gods who blew away the storm clouds and cleared the battlefield. Huangdi then was able to defeat Chi You and his tribe once and for all.
With this great victory, Huangdi not only safeguarded his own tribe, but the tribes of his allies. The 9 Tribes joined together as one tribe under the leadership of Huangdi.
Huangdi lived to 100 years of age. He was said to have had 25 children, 14 of whom were sons. Of these 14 sons, 12 chose last names for themselves. It is also said that all the noble families of the first 3 dynasties of China, Xia, Shang, and Zhou were direct descendants of Huangdi.
When Huangdi had lived to 100 years of age, he arranged his worldly affairs with his ministers, and prepared for his journey to the Heavens. One version said a Dragon came down from the Heaven and took Huangdi away. Another version said Huangdi himself turned into half-man and half Dragon and flew away.
The South Pointing Chariot was a 2 wheeled war chariot that had a pole in the center of the carriage. A small figurine stood on top of the pole. A set of gears connected the 2 wheels to the pole, so that no matter which way the chariot turned, the figurine on the pole always pointed at a preset direction, usually South. The South Pointing Chariot did not require magnetism to work, and in models was depicted as the earliest form of the differential gearing system as found in modern automobile transmission systems.
He is also said to have played a part in the creation of the Guqin, together with Fuxi and Shennong, and to have invented the earliest form of the Chinese calendar, and its current sexagenary cycles are counted based on his reign.
Huang Di captured Bai Ze atop Mount Dongwang. The beast described to him all the 11,520 types of monsters, shapeshifters, demons, and spirits in the world. Huang Di's retainer recorded this in pictures, which later became the book "Bai Ze Tu", which no longer exists.
In legend, Ling Lun gave the emperor flutes tuned to the sounds of birds, which is said to be the foundation of Chinese traditional music.
Religious views
Huangdi is an important figure in Chinese religions, particularly Taoism and Confucianism.
He introduced the earliest form of martial arts into China, because he was also good in medicine, and he knew that the art was beneficial for both good health and self-defense.
Ye Shuxian associated the Yellow Emperor with the bear legends among northeast Asia people and the Dangun legend.
Historicity
One explanation is that Huang Di was euhemerized from a mythical god during the early Zhou Dynasty into a legendary emperor during the late Zhou dynasty—his legendary deeds embellished along the way.
Popular culture
*Huang Di appears as a god in the strategy game made by Sierra Entertainment, now a division of Vivendi. In the game he is a patron of hunting and has the skills needed for leading men into battle.
*There have been TV dramas made in mainland China depicting the life of Huang Di. However, their historical accuracy is questionable. They are semi-fictional because their focus is mainly on martial arts, Wuxia and drama.
*Huangdi serves as the hero in Jorge Luis Borges' story, "The Fauna of the Mirror." British fantasy writer China Miéville used this story as the basis for his novella "The Tain", which describes a post-apocalyptic London. "The Tain" was recently included in Miéville's short story collection "Looking For Jake."
*The popular Chinese series for PC, Xuanyuan Jian, revolves around the legendary sword used by Huang Di.
Zeng Chengwei
Prof. Zeng Chengwei is a musician of the guqin, born in the Sichuan province of China. He is a sixth-generation transmitter of the Shu school of qin music, having studied with his maternal grandfather, Yu Shaoze. Zeng is also a gifted maker of the instrument.
Zeng's style is fluid and yet restraint, focusing on simplicity and roundness. His melodies are often meditative and removed. Very little ornamentation is used or used sparingly to add to the flavour of the pieces he plays. On the other hand, his rendition of Liu Shui is very vigorous and intensive unlike modern renditions as he imitates the sound of full bodied water churning.
Zeng is an experienced qin maker with many years of experience. The instruments he makes are notable for the easiness of playing and consistency. The strings are close to the surface yet there is no buzzing . The slope towards the bridge is more steeper than general qins and the instrument is more loud. The tone is more sweet and rounded.
His qins are mostly made in the standard ''zhongni'' shape and are unadorned. The main focus on his qins are playability and sound above appearance.
His patronage is Prof. Li Xiangting, who praised his qin making skills, comparing them to the Tang dynasty maker, Lei Wei. He is quoted in Zeng's CD : " are of top quality, with antique form based on a high standard."
Zeng has one recording on an album published by HUGO; ''Shu Qin Music ''. It contains most of his repertoire and includes pieces transmitted to him as well as his own transcriptions. In the sleeve notes, Yip Mingmei describes his playing as "smooth but not decorated, energetic but not forced, his touch is firm and the tone color emitted is full and bright. His harmonious and balanced playing inclines toward the Confucian ideal of the middle way. His fingerings are clean and pure, and his rhythm clear and precise."
Style
Zeng's style is fluid and yet restraint, focusing on simplicity and roundness. His melodies are often meditative and removed. Very little ornamentation is used or used sparingly to add to the flavour of the pieces he plays. On the other hand, his rendition of Liu Shui is very vigorous and intensive unlike modern renditions as he imitates the sound of full bodied water churning.
Qin making
Zeng is an experienced qin maker with many years of experience. The instruments he makes are notable for the easiness of playing and consistency. The strings are close to the surface yet there is no buzzing . The slope towards the bridge is more steeper than general qins and the instrument is more loud. The tone is more sweet and rounded.
His qins are mostly made in the standard ''zhongni'' shape and are unadorned. The main focus on his qins are playability and sound above appearance.
His patronage is Prof. Li Xiangting, who praised his qin making skills, comparing them to the Tang dynasty maker, Lei Wei. He is quoted in Zeng's CD : " are of top quality, with antique form based on a high standard."
Recordings
Zeng has one recording on an album published by HUGO; ''Shu Qin Music ''. It contains most of his repertoire and includes pieces transmitted to him as well as his own transcriptions. In the sleeve notes, Yip Mingmei describes his playing as "smooth but not decorated, energetic but not forced, his touch is firm and the tone color emitted is full and bright. His harmonious and balanced playing inclines toward the Confucian ideal of the middle way. His fingerings are clean and pure, and his rhythm clear and precise."
Zha Fuxi
Zha Fuxi was a leading player and scholar of the guqin. Born in Jiangxi, he started learning guqin since his childhood. In 1936, he co-found Jinyu Society Qin Society which later became one of the major national musical organizations for guqin.
Besides his profession on guqin, he worked for the civil aviation company and was an activist for labour movement. Since People's Republic of China was established in 1949, he was a vice-chairman of the National Musical Association, president of the Beijing Guqin Society, department head of Central Institute of Music.
Few recordings of his qin performance have been published, though more remain in private and institutional circulation. His playing style unaffected but serious and elegant, he specialized in qin songs and contributed several noteworthy dapu reconstructions, as well as earning the nickname "Zha Xiaoxiang" for his mastery of the piece Xiao Xiang Shui Yun.
Besides his profession on guqin, he worked for the civil aviation company and was an activist for labour movement. Since People's Republic of China was established in 1949, he was a vice-chairman of the National Musical Association, president of the Beijing Guqin Society, department head of Central Institute of Music.
Few recordings of his qin performance have been published, though more remain in private and institutional circulation. His playing style unaffected but serious and elegant, he specialized in qin songs and contributed several noteworthy dapu reconstructions, as well as earning the nickname "Zha Xiaoxiang" for his mastery of the piece Xiao Xiang Shui Yun.
Zhe school
The Zhe school is a school of musicians for the guqin. It should not be confused with the Zhe School of painters.
Zhu Quan, Prince of Ning
page / leaf of volume 3 of Zhu Quan's Shenqi Mipu. From right to left: Full title of tablature collection 臞仙神奇秘譜 with volume number 下卷 plus seals of the owner of this copy , title of the volume 霞外神品, the tuning and method of tuning 黃鐘調, name of the 'modal preface' 調意, the tablature of the modal preface, title of the piece, description of the piece's origins, and the tablature of said piece.]]
Zhu Quan , The Prince of Ning , was the 17th son of Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang; a military commander, historian and playwright, great tea connoisseur and a player.
Pseudonym: Mr. Dan Qiu, Da Ming Qi Shi, The Odd Scholar of Great Ming, the Emmanciated Immortal 臞仙.
Zhu Quan was a military commander, famous for his masterly art of war. In his late years, he retired completely from politics. A great lover of books, he funded the publishing of many rare books. Prince Ning himself wrote many books on history and drama, including ''The Secret History of Han and Tang Dynasty'' and ''Eloping Xianru''. His most famous book was 茶谱 Cha Pu, Tea manual of 1440. He is also the ancestor of famous Chinese painter Zhu Da.
Zhu Quan is an important person in the guqin world, for compling the important 神奇秘譜 ''Shenqi Mipu'' of 1425, the earliest discovered collection of qin scores found.
Zhu Quan , The Prince of Ning , was the 17th son of Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang; a military commander, historian and playwright, great tea connoisseur and a player.
Pseudonym: Mr. Dan Qiu, Da Ming Qi Shi, The Odd Scholar of Great Ming, the Emmanciated Immortal 臞仙.
Zhu Quan was a military commander, famous for his masterly art of war. In his late years, he retired completely from politics. A great lover of books, he funded the publishing of many rare books. Prince Ning himself wrote many books on history and drama, including ''The Secret History of Han and Tang Dynasty'' and ''Eloping Xianru''. His most famous book was 茶谱 Cha Pu, Tea manual of 1440. He is also the ancestor of famous Chinese painter Zhu Da.
Zhu Quan is an important person in the guqin world, for compling the important 神奇秘譜 ''Shenqi Mipu'' of 1425, the earliest discovered collection of qin scores found.
Bo Ya
Bo Ya was a from the Spring and Autumn Period or the Warring States period. He was known by his first name of "Boya", although his surname may have been Yu , thus his complete name is sometimes given as Yu Boya . The Lute Platform in Hanyang, Wuhan, China was where the legendary musician Yu Boya is said to have played. He is associated with the guqin pieces Gao Shan 《高山》 and Liu Shui 《流水》 .
According to ''Qin Shi'', Liezi said:
"Bo Ya was good at playing the qin. Zhong Ziqi was good at to listening to the qin. When Bo Ya's will was towards high mountains in his playing, Zhong Ziqi would say, 'How towering like Mount Tai!' When Bo Ya's will was towards flowing water in his playing, Zhong Ziqi would say, 'How vast are the rivers and oceans!' Whatever Bo Ya thought of Ziqi would never fail to understand. Bo Ya said, 'Amazing! Your heart and mines are the same!' When Ziqi died, Bo Ya broke the strings and vowed never to play again. Thus, there was the melody of High Mountains Flowing Water."
Bo Ya's story exemplifies the Chinese ideal of friendship. The term ''Zhiyin'' has come to describe a close and sympathetic friend.
According to ''Qin Shi'', Liezi said:
"Bo Ya was good at playing the qin. Zhong Ziqi was good at to listening to the qin. When Bo Ya's will was towards high mountains in his playing, Zhong Ziqi would say, 'How towering like Mount Tai!' When Bo Ya's will was towards flowing water in his playing, Zhong Ziqi would say, 'How vast are the rivers and oceans!' Whatever Bo Ya thought of Ziqi would never fail to understand. Bo Ya said, 'Amazing! Your heart and mines are the same!' When Ziqi died, Bo Ya broke the strings and vowed never to play again. Thus, there was the melody of High Mountains Flowing Water."
Bo Ya's story exemplifies the Chinese ideal of friendship. The term ''Zhiyin'' has come to describe a close and sympathetic friend.
Cheng Yu (musician)
Cheng Yu is a musician. She is internationally renowned in Pipa, the Chinese four-stringed pear-shaped lute, but also plays the Guqin, the seven-stringed zither, and is a virtuoso, scholar and specialist of Chinese music.
She gained a BMus in China and an MMus in the United Kingdom. She completed her PhD studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London on Ancient Xi'an Music and regularly performs throughout the UK.
She plays, records and researches widely on traditional and contemporary Chinese music as well as cross-cultural music collaborations in the UK, Europe and other places. In her recent project in 2005, she successfully re-created a modern version of the lost Tang Dynasty five-stringed pipa.
She is the founder of the UK Chinese Ensemble in 1994 and the London Youlan Qin Society in 2003.
Cheng Yu was born in Beijing, but grew up in Gansu Province in Northwest China when her family was exiled during the Cultural Revolution. She studied the southern Pudong style of pipa with her father from the age of seven and was further trained by pipa masters in the north-western Pinghu style later. She also studied and graduated with distinction in the Xi'an Conservatory of Music in 1987 for the guqin. She won the "outstanding pipa player" award in China in the same year she was selected as a pipa soloist in the China Central Orchestra of Chinese Music in Beijing.
She moved to London in the 1990s and currently teaches pipa and guqin as well as research at SOAS, University of London.
Cheng Yu researched and created a contemporary model for a pipa with five strings based on the study of old Tang dynasty ''pipa''s and lutes from the East Asian cultures.
*Asian Music Circuit: Chinese Music Summer School from 2003
*ARC Music
*SOAS
*Music House
*Zomba
*Extreme Music
*Realworld
*Damon Albarn
*
*Tan Dun
*
*Xu Yi
*Barrington Pheloung
*Randy Edelman
*Carl Jenkins
*
*Fabien Tehericsen
*London Sinfonietta 1996
*Lyon Ensemble Orchestral Contemporian 2000-01
*Avignon Orchestra 2003
*Edingburgh String Quartet 2004
*Youth Music: Faber Music Songbook 2005
*Jan Kuiper
*Purbayan Chatterjee
*Zoumana Kiarra
*Jan Hendrickse
*Tim Garside
*Stephen Dydo
*Gillian Carcas
*Gyewon Byeon
She gained a BMus in China and an MMus in the United Kingdom. She completed her PhD studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London on Ancient Xi'an Music and regularly performs throughout the UK.
She plays, records and researches widely on traditional and contemporary Chinese music as well as cross-cultural music collaborations in the UK, Europe and other places. In her recent project in 2005, she successfully re-created a modern version of the lost Tang Dynasty five-stringed pipa.
She is the founder of the UK Chinese Ensemble in 1994 and the London Youlan Qin Society in 2003.
Biogaphie
Cheng Yu was born in Beijing, but grew up in Gansu Province in Northwest China when her family was exiled during the Cultural Revolution. She studied the southern Pudong style of pipa with her father from the age of seven and was further trained by pipa masters in the north-western Pinghu style later. She also studied and graduated with distinction in the Xi'an Conservatory of Music in 1987 for the guqin. She won the "outstanding pipa player" award in China in the same year she was selected as a pipa soloist in the China Central Orchestra of Chinese Music in Beijing.
She moved to London in the 1990s and currently teaches pipa and guqin as well as research at SOAS, University of London.
The five stringed ''pipa''
Cheng Yu researched and created a contemporary model for a pipa with five strings based on the study of old Tang dynasty ''pipa''s and lutes from the East Asian cultures.
Collaborations and projects
*Asian Music Circuit: Chinese Music Summer School from 2003
*ARC Music
*SOAS
*Music House
*Zomba
*Extreme Music
*Realworld
*Damon Albarn
*
*Tan Dun
*
*Xu Yi
*Barrington Pheloung
*Randy Edelman
*Carl Jenkins
*
*Fabien Tehericsen
*London Sinfonietta 1996
*Lyon Ensemble Orchestral Contemporian 2000-01
*Avignon Orchestra 2003
*Edingburgh String Quartet 2004
*Youth Music: Faber Music Songbook 2005
*Jan Kuiper
*Purbayan Chatterjee
*Zoumana Kiarra
*Jan Hendrickse
*Tim Garside
*Stephen Dydo
*Gillian Carcas
*Gyewon Byeon
Contemporary guqin players
This is a list of contemporary players of the guqin of the 20th and 21st centuries. It attempts to list most ''notable'' players .
*Personal Names : Gives name of person in English. If that person was born with a Chinese name, it is listed in pinyin. If one has a or other Chinese dialect name, the Mandarin pinyin takes priority over it in order listing. The names will be listed in alphabetical order. For the sake of tidiness, the Family name will go first.
*Personal Names : Given name of the person in traditional full Chinese characters. If that person does not have a Chinese name, it would be marked 'None'.
*Other Names, Titles and Styles: Any other names or handles the person has used, such as pen names, painting names, styles, etc. This includes any titles, chivalric orders or degree ranks decreed upon the person, such as Professor, PhD, MBE, etc.
*Dates: Gives the year of birth and death of said person. If not known, then deceased or active will be used instead.
*School or Base: The person's school or where they are currently active if known.
*Remarks: Any important information about this person, e, g. their occupation, experience, etc.
Table guide
*Personal Names : Gives name of person in English. If that person was born with a Chinese name, it is listed in pinyin. If one has a or other Chinese dialect name, the Mandarin pinyin takes priority over it in order listing. The names will be listed in alphabetical order. For the sake of tidiness, the Family name will go first.
*Personal Names : Given name of the person in traditional full Chinese characters. If that person does not have a Chinese name, it would be marked 'None'.
*Other Names, Titles and Styles: Any other names or handles the person has used, such as pen names, painting names, styles, etc. This includes any titles, chivalric orders or degree ranks decreed upon the person, such as Professor, PhD, MBE, etc.
*Dates: Gives the year of birth and death of said person. If not known, then deceased or active will be used instead.
*School or Base: The person's school or where they are currently active if known.
*Remarks: Any important information about this person, e, g. their occupation, experience, etc.
China
United States of America
United Kingdom
Canada
Germany
Others
Fu Xi
In Chinese mythology, Fu Xi or Fu Hsi (; aka Paoxi , mid 2800s BCE, was the first of the mythical of ancient China. He is a culture hero reputed to be the inventor of writing, fishing, and .
Fu Xi was born on the lower-middle reaches of the Yellow River in a place called Chengji .
According to legend the land was swept by a great flood and only Fuxi and his sister Nüwa survived. They retired to Kunlun Mountain where they prayed for a sign from the Emperor of Heaven. The divine being approved their union and the siblings set about procreating the human race. It was said that in order to speed up the procreation of humans, Fu Xi and Nüwa find an additional way by using clay to create human figures, and with the power divine being entrusted to them, they made the clay figures to come alive. Fu Xi then came to rule over his descendents although reports of his long reign vary between sources from 115 years to 116 years .
He lived for 197 years altogether and died at a place called where his mausoleum can still be found.
During the time of his predecessor Nüwa , society was matriarchal and primitive. Childbirth was seen to be miraculous not requiring the participation of the male and children only knew their mothers. As the reproductive process became better understood ancient Chinese society moved towards a patriarchal system and Fu Xi assumed primary importance.
Fu Hsi taught his subjects to cook, to fish with nets, and to hunt with weapons made of iron. He instituted marriage and offered the first open air sacrifices to heaven. A stone tablet, dated 160 AD shows Fu Hsi with Nüwa.
Traditionally, Fu Hsi is considered the originator of the ''I Ching'' , which work is attributed to his reading of the ''He Map'' . According to this tradition, Fu Hsi had the arrangement of the of the ''I Ching'' revealed to him supernaturally. This arrangement precedes the compilation of the ''I Ching'' during the . Fu Hsi is said to have discovered the arrangement in markings on the back of a mythical dragon-horse that emerged from the river Luo. This discovery is also said to have been the origin of calligraphy.
Fu Hsi is also credited with the invention of the Guqin, together with Shennong and Huang Di.
*Fu Xi made an appearance in the second part of Hong Kong television series My Date with a Vampire 3. In it, he is also called Ren Wang, or the King of Humanity, with a magical bow and arrow as his weapons. He was sent down from heaven and it is on him whom Nüwa based her creation, humanity. Within the show Nüwa and Fuxi are not married.
*Fu Xi and his wife/sister Nüwa appear as unlockable characters in the video game Dynasty Warriors 3. Both were portrayed to be disguising as simple humans, but they later return in the sequel of , where they received a design closer to deities.
*Fu Xi is featured in the "Conversation on Information Technology over 5000 Years" sculptural panels at the Norwalk Community College Center for Information Technology, near New Haven, Connecticut. They were sculpted by the facility's architect, Barry Svigals.
*He appears on a rather strange mural on a wall in Peterborough.
*In manga Hoshin Engi, he is referenced as Fukki, one of the important characters to appear near the end of the storyline.
|-
Biography
Fu Xi was born on the lower-middle reaches of the Yellow River in a place called Chengji .
According to legend the land was swept by a great flood and only Fuxi and his sister Nüwa survived. They retired to Kunlun Mountain where they prayed for a sign from the Emperor of Heaven. The divine being approved their union and the siblings set about procreating the human race. It was said that in order to speed up the procreation of humans, Fu Xi and Nüwa find an additional way by using clay to create human figures, and with the power divine being entrusted to them, they made the clay figures to come alive. Fu Xi then came to rule over his descendents although reports of his long reign vary between sources from 115 years to 116 years .
He lived for 197 years altogether and died at a place called where his mausoleum can still be found.
Social importance
During the time of his predecessor Nüwa , society was matriarchal and primitive. Childbirth was seen to be miraculous not requiring the participation of the male and children only knew their mothers. As the reproductive process became better understood ancient Chinese society moved towards a patriarchal system and Fu Xi assumed primary importance.
Fu Hsi taught his subjects to cook, to fish with nets, and to hunt with weapons made of iron. He instituted marriage and offered the first open air sacrifices to heaven. A stone tablet, dated 160 AD shows Fu Hsi with Nüwa.
Traditionally, Fu Hsi is considered the originator of the ''I Ching'' , which work is attributed to his reading of the ''He Map'' . According to this tradition, Fu Hsi had the arrangement of the of the ''I Ching'' revealed to him supernaturally. This arrangement precedes the compilation of the ''I Ching'' during the . Fu Hsi is said to have discovered the arrangement in markings on the back of a mythical dragon-horse that emerged from the river Luo. This discovery is also said to have been the origin of calligraphy.
Fu Hsi is also credited with the invention of the Guqin, together with Shennong and Huang Di.
Contemporary references to Fu Xi
*Fu Xi made an appearance in the second part of Hong Kong television series My Date with a Vampire 3. In it, he is also called Ren Wang, or the King of Humanity, with a magical bow and arrow as his weapons. He was sent down from heaven and it is on him whom Nüwa based her creation, humanity. Within the show Nüwa and Fuxi are not married.
*Fu Xi and his wife/sister Nüwa appear as unlockable characters in the video game Dynasty Warriors 3. Both were portrayed to be disguising as simple humans, but they later return in the sequel of , where they received a design closer to deities.
*Fu Xi is featured in the "Conversation on Information Technology over 5000 Years" sculptural panels at the Norwalk Community College Center for Information Technology, near New Haven, Connecticut. They were sculpted by the facility's architect, Barry Svigals.
*He appears on a rather strange mural on a wall in Peterborough.
*In manga Hoshin Engi, he is referenced as Fukki, one of the important characters to appear near the end of the storyline.
Sources, references, external links, quotations
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Gong Yi
Gong Yi is a guqin master from Shanghai, presently one of the instrument's leading figures. Born in Nanjing, he trained first under several local players before proceeding to the Shanghai Conservatory where he broadly absorbed the styles of such prominent masters as Zhang Ziqian, Xu Lisun, Gu Meigeng, and Wei Zhongle. Gong Yi has had, since the 1950s, a varied career performing, teaching, composing, and researching under the auspices of several institutions and ensembles, most notably the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra of which he was director and sole guqin player. In guqin circles he is particularly noted for his efforts toward integration of the instrument into the conservatory mainstream.
Wu Jinglue
Wu Jinglüe was a musician originally from near Suzhou. He is considered one of the most important guqin players of the 20th century and was also an active researcher and teacher.
He was born in the town of Xitangshi, Changshu County, near Suzhou in Jiangsu province, China, on February 5, 1907, and died in Beijing on August 16, 1987. He served as a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and played a prominent role in raising the guqin to professional standards as a concert instrument. The two most distinguished players to transmit his style and repertoire are Li Xiangting and Wu Wenguang, currently the leading guqin figures in Beijing's conservatories.
He was born in the town of Xitangshi, Changshu County, near Suzhou in Jiangsu province, China, on February 5, 1907, and died in Beijing on August 16, 1987. He served as a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and played a prominent role in raising the guqin to professional standards as a concert instrument. The two most distinguished players to transmit his style and repertoire are Li Xiangting and Wu Wenguang, currently the leading guqin figures in Beijing's conservatories.
Wang Fei (musician)
Wang Fei is a musician of descent. She specialises in traditional Chinese musical instruments such as the guqin and the guzheng. Her teacher of the guqin is mainly Li Xiangting of the Central Conservatory of Music since 1981. She has two sisters, one of whom resides in China and one resides predominantly in the United States.
She now resides in America, where she continues to promote qin culture. She is the founder of the North American Guqin Association, based in the SF Bay Area; and co-founder of Chinese Culture Net. She is also a council member of the China Guqin Committee. She is a published writer and an international award winner digital artist.
Wang Fei started her guqin studies in 1981 with Prof. Li Xiangting. He soon regards her as his most promising student out of his 300 or so students worldwide. She gradually developed a high understanding of qin music throughout her study and has done numerous research on it. She also mastered many technically difficult melodies, including ''Youlan'' and ''Guangling San''.
She has given a number of performances and concerts throughout the world, especially in China, the United States, and Japan. She also participated in many seminars, conferences and lectures in China. She has been written about and interviewed by over a hundred journalists in the media in China, Japan, and the United States. Her biographical profile was included in the Chinese version of ''World Who's Who'' in 1998 and ''World Class Chinese Intellectuals in the Musical And Artistic Fields'', vol. 5.
As well as being a high-class performer of the guqin, she also promotes its culture by organising qin related events, such as conferences and yajis. She has often held speeches, seminars, lectures workshops and demonstrations at various academic establishments as well as the public. She has also written many articles as an introduction to the qin for many people. When she was in Beijing, she and her "Three Sisters of Beijing Literature and Art Studio" did much to promote the qin in China. Her studio also supports other qin-related organisations.
She then moved to the United States, where she began to use technology to promote and expand the interest of the qin. In particular, she was the first graduate in Multimedia Studies from China at ; which she used her knowledge to establish an online guqin community, the North American Guqin Association , in 1997. Thousands of people around the world have contacted her through her work. In 2002, she organised the first ever online guqin gathering.
Wang Fei has won a number of awards throughout her professional career, including first place in the Chinese College Student Art Contest in 1989. As she has traveled to many places promoting the guqin, she was given many honorary awards, including being made Honorary Citizen of the City of Baltimore, Maryland in 1993, and in 1995 she was made a Daughter of the City of Maoka, Japan.
Wang Fei is also a well-known author. She and her two sisters are collectively known as the "Chinese ". Their book ''Three Sisters' Skies and Dreams'' was a bestseller in Beijing in 1997. The book ''The Story of the Chinese Bronte Sisters'' , written by their mother, included their stories, articles, photos, and music CDs. The first edition sold 30,000 copies in the first month. It was the No. 4 bestseller in the Beijing Book Exposition in January 2002 and has broken all sales records for the China City Publishing House.
Wang Fei also plays the guzheng and does Chinese painting.
She now resides in America, where she continues to promote qin culture. She is the founder of the North American Guqin Association, based in the SF Bay Area; and co-founder of Chinese Culture Net. She is also a council member of the China Guqin Committee. She is a published writer and an international award winner digital artist.
Biography
Wang Fei started her guqin studies in 1981 with Prof. Li Xiangting. He soon regards her as his most promising student out of his 300 or so students worldwide. She gradually developed a high understanding of qin music throughout her study and has done numerous research on it. She also mastered many technically difficult melodies, including ''Youlan'' and ''Guangling San''.
She has given a number of performances and concerts throughout the world, especially in China, the United States, and Japan. She also participated in many seminars, conferences and lectures in China. She has been written about and interviewed by over a hundred journalists in the media in China, Japan, and the United States. Her biographical profile was included in the Chinese version of ''World Who's Who'' in 1998 and ''World Class Chinese Intellectuals in the Musical And Artistic Fields'', vol. 5.
As well as being a high-class performer of the guqin, she also promotes its culture by organising qin related events, such as conferences and yajis. She has often held speeches, seminars, lectures workshops and demonstrations at various academic establishments as well as the public. She has also written many articles as an introduction to the qin for many people. When she was in Beijing, she and her "Three Sisters of Beijing Literature and Art Studio" did much to promote the qin in China. Her studio also supports other qin-related organisations.
She then moved to the United States, where she began to use technology to promote and expand the interest of the qin. In particular, she was the first graduate in Multimedia Studies from China at ; which she used her knowledge to establish an online guqin community, the North American Guqin Association , in 1997. Thousands of people around the world have contacted her through her work. In 2002, she organised the first ever online guqin gathering.
Artistic achievements
Wang Fei has won a number of awards throughout her professional career, including first place in the Chinese College Student Art Contest in 1989. As she has traveled to many places promoting the guqin, she was given many honorary awards, including being made Honorary Citizen of the City of Baltimore, Maryland in 1993, and in 1995 she was made a Daughter of the City of Maoka, Japan.
Other artistic activities
Wang Fei is also a well-known author. She and her two sisters are collectively known as the "Chinese ". Their book ''Three Sisters' Skies and Dreams'' was a bestseller in Beijing in 1997. The book ''The Story of the Chinese Bronte Sisters'' , written by their mother, included their stories, articles, photos, and music CDs. The first edition sold 30,000 copies in the first month. It was the No. 4 bestseller in the Beijing Book Exposition in January 2002 and has broken all sales records for the China City Publishing House.
Wang Fei also plays the guzheng and does Chinese painting.
Shennong
Shennong , also known as the Yan Emperor or the Emperor of the Five Grains , is a legendary and culture hero of Chinese mythology who is believed to have lived some 5,000 years ago, and taught ancient China the practices of agriculture. Appropriately, his name means "''the Divine Farmer''". Considered to be the father of Chinese agriculture, this legendary emperor taught his people how to cultivate grains as food, so as to avoid killing animals.
He is said to have tasted hundreds of herbs to test their medical value. The most well-known work attributed to Shennong is the ''The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic'' – first compiled some time during the end of the Western Han Dynasty, several thousand years after Shennong existed – which lists the various medical herbs such as reishi which were discovered by Shennong and given grade and rarity ratings. This work is considered to be the earliest Chinese pharmacopoeia. It includes 365 medicines derived from minerals, plants, and animals. Shennong is credited with identifying hundreds of medical herbs by personally testing their properties, which was crucial to the development of Traditional Chinese medicine. Legend has it that Shennong had a transparent body and thus could see the effects of different plants and herbs on himself. Tea, which acts as an antidote against the poisonous effects of some seventy herbs, is also said to be his discovery. Chinese legend places this discovery in 2737 B.C., according to which Shennong first tasted tea from tea leaves on burning tea twigs, which were carried up from the fire by the hot air, and landed in his cauldron of boiling water. Shennong is venerated as the Father of Chinese medicine. He is also believed to have introduced the technique of acupuncture.
A close kinsman of the Yellow Emperor, he is said to be a patriarch of the Chinese. The Han Chinese regarded them both as their joint ancestors. He is also considered one of the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. He was deified as one of the for his contributions to mankind.
Shennong is said to have played a part in the creation of the Guqin, together with Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor.
Scholarly works mention that the paternal family of famous Song Dynasty General Yue Fei traced their origins back to Shennong.
He is said to have tasted hundreds of herbs to test their medical value. The most well-known work attributed to Shennong is the ''The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic'' – first compiled some time during the end of the Western Han Dynasty, several thousand years after Shennong existed – which lists the various medical herbs such as reishi which were discovered by Shennong and given grade and rarity ratings. This work is considered to be the earliest Chinese pharmacopoeia. It includes 365 medicines derived from minerals, plants, and animals. Shennong is credited with identifying hundreds of medical herbs by personally testing their properties, which was crucial to the development of Traditional Chinese medicine. Legend has it that Shennong had a transparent body and thus could see the effects of different plants and herbs on himself. Tea, which acts as an antidote against the poisonous effects of some seventy herbs, is also said to be his discovery. Chinese legend places this discovery in 2737 B.C., according to which Shennong first tasted tea from tea leaves on burning tea twigs, which were carried up from the fire by the hot air, and landed in his cauldron of boiling water. Shennong is venerated as the Father of Chinese medicine. He is also believed to have introduced the technique of acupuncture.
A close kinsman of the Yellow Emperor, he is said to be a patriarch of the Chinese. The Han Chinese regarded them both as their joint ancestors. He is also considered one of the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. He was deified as one of the for his contributions to mankind.
Shennong is said to have played a part in the creation of the Guqin, together with Fuxi and the Yellow Emperor.
Scholarly works mention that the paternal family of famous Song Dynasty General Yue Fei traced their origins back to Shennong.
Ruan Ji
Ruǎn Jí is one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. He is associated with the guqin melody, Jiu Kuang which was believed to be composed by him.
The life and creative work of Ruan Ji is associated with the crucial and dramatic period in China history, which was followed by large changes in different spheres of life. After virtuous rule of Han dynasty, in which the norm of ritual piety, philanthropy principles of legendary rulers of ancient, aspiration to nurture officials – calm, reasonable, serving for consciousness, not of fear, became governmental norm, began so called Period of Disunity.
Ruan Ji witnessed bloody wars, struggles for power in the court of Wei, and the 's rise. Despite the dim times, this was a period of great achievements in spiritual culture. Bright peculiarity of that time was intellectual life: interests of metaphysics for discussion of which were hold open academic forums – “pure talks”, profound interest to the problem of highest purpose, the great popularity of Daoism and spreading of foreign learning – Buddhism, rapid expansion of lyrical poetry; flourishing of all fine arts, from painting to architecture, bringing the spirit of “grace and freedom” to that epoch.
Invention of cheap paper in the second century spread the literacy among large population, what brought to occurrence of large amount of educated people – ''shi'' . Consisting of people with sense of understanding the only true idea of good, truth and justice, virtue. Heroes of the day became irreproachable virtues man, who relinquished from politics, and preferred still life in the countryside or hermit’s life to shine of the court life. They, so called sublime man – ''junzi'' , brought into being ideas of the protest against iniquitous reign, hidden by exterior unconcern, and greatness in undemanding and pureness. So, in view of this new people the life of officials was “the life of dust and dirt”, and real dirt of peasant labor was a symbol of purity.
Ruan Ji was one of that kind of people, who themselves made their life a masterpiece. In the Chen Shous “History of Wei dynasty” the mentioning of Ruan Ji was more than modest: “…highly talented, having an ability to avoid the chains of courts morality and traditions, but unbalanced and undisciplined; was eager to banish his temptations. Ruan Ji honored ancient Daoist sage Zhuangzi." In the “History of Jing dynasty” is written: ”Appearance of Ji was uncommon, stubborn and self-willed tempered, proud and independent. Following only the gusts of soul… Sometimes he would wander away on the hills and forget to return, and at length come back crying bitterly; at other times he would shut himself up with his books and see no one for months. He read a lot especially he liked Laozi and Zhuangzi. He drank a lot, he possessed the skill of whistling and loved to play on Qin. Once inspired by idea, he forgot about everything in the world. Many considered him to be a madman.”
In Chinese traditional thinking exists three opinions on Ruan Ji. First – wholly negative – claiming him to be inspirer of vicious “dissoluteness”. Second - consider him as wielder of “disturbance.” Zhen Yu wrote: “A lot consider Ruan Ji to be dissolutive, unrestrained man, but it is insufficient opinion… Was not talking about imperfection of others, looked only with whites of his eyes. Is this not an address to the world of mankind? In a mourning ate meat and drank wine, groan and spited out with blood – isn’t it a care of man's Dao . At that time reigning powers were cruel… but Ruan Ji died with natural death – isn’t it a wisdom of self preservation?” Third opinion – makes Ruan Ji a wise man… the one who penetrated in hidden ”Dao Art”. Cui ShuLiang wrote about him: “Ruan Ji stood up above all the mankind, was being “out of validity and invalidity”, none was able “achieve his greatness, and measure the depth of his thoughts”, he got in “refined begin of all matters”…the poet Wang Ji praised him as first man, after legendary rulers of ancient, who found the way to paradise of universal careless intoxication.
In the reference of Fu Yi, who describes Ruan Ji as a connoisseur of ancient essays, mentioned that “poet with diligence was engaged in sciences” and till the nightfall was reading books. This quiet solitude and obsession in perceiving the knowledge of ancients was his hidden source of inspiration. For Ruan Ji was widely opened way to court honor. But from the beginning he didn’t hide his despise to career of official. One of his biographers told: “Ji in the beginning tried to improve the world, but lived on the Wei and Jing boundary. In China there were little Junzi, who preserved themselves. Because of that Ji abandoned his affairs, and was intoxicated all the time”.
In one of Ruan Jis poem can be seen how poet throw away the norms of Confucius, although they were followed by such virtuous man like Confucius students Yan Yuan and Min Sun. He obtains wisdom of legendary Daoist Xian Menzi. Talking about the changes in the poet ideals, we can remember a statement “Is there any rituals for man like I am?”
One day at the court was told about the son, who killed his mother, Ruan Ji said: “ Ha! If he gone so far to kill his mother, he could allow himself to kill his father too”. All, who heard this, “lost their gift of talking” and demanded him to explain himself, because “The killing of father is the worst crime in the Empire , how could you say that it is possible?” Ruan Ji replied: “Animals and birds know their mother, but are unaware of the father. Killing father - is becoming like animals and birds, but those who killed their own mother – are even worse then animals.” Chronicler added: “No one could object his words”.
Ruan Ji refused the rules not only in court. There is a story telling that he was playing chess when received news about death of his mother. His chess partner asked him to end the game, but Ruan Ji cold-bloodedly finished the game, then drank two measures of wine and started groan. On the funeral he “wept so violently, that he brought up several pints of blood. He didn’t mourn and, despite observing the decencies, ate meat and drank wine. Yet when people came to support him, he showed them only the whites of his eyes. While Ji Kang came, who carried along with him a jar of wine and Qin, was welcomed with the pupils and met him with happiness.
The name of Ruan Ji is related with activity of famous group “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”. The name of Ruan Ji is always called first among the seven. Among them were Ji Kang, Shan Tao , Liu Ling , Ruan Xian , Xiang Xiu , Wang Rong . They created an image of “quite uninhibitedly enjoying” wise men, in image of which, realized an old dream of Daoists free concord of free men, who are gifted with hidden wisdom “to be together, not being together” and “act jointly, not acting jointly”. The cup of wine, which became a symbol of accustom to “contemplation a lot of wonders”, about what Daoist were talking about, united them even more than any principles. Ruan Ji talks in his works about “remote” things, but he says about “Bamboo Groove” nothing, although this group became main in his searches of free and frank friendship.
We can mark out some directions in Ruan Ji’s creation, which reveals different sides of his inner world: philosophical essay “About penetration into the Book of Changes”,”About Music”, where are delivered ideas on the nature of a world order, “About penetration into Laozi”, ”About understanding of Zhuangzi”, “The life of Great Man”. The most fame Ruan Ji achieved by the almanac called “Poems from my heart”, which contains 82 poems. How already said his contemporaries, one of Ruan Ji’s composition “The life of Great Man” is a composition in which he revealed all his innermost thoughts. Main character of the composition is a nameless hermit, whose characteristics are described at the beginning of essay:” Ten thousands li were for him as one step, thousands years,- as one morning. He pursued nothing, stopped on nothing; he was being in search of Great Dao, and nowhere got shelter… Self-lovers scold and abuse him, ignoramus reproach him, but no one knew refined wanderings of his Spirit. But old man didn’t betray his pursuit, despite being abused and bewilderment of society…”
Exactly by the means of this wise man, Ruan Ji reveals his own innermost ideas. In his composition, Ruan Ji ridicules Confucians morals and rituals. “Appeared ruler and at once flourished cruelty, came into being vassals and at once appeared faithlessness and betrayal. Established rituals and laws, but people are bound and are not free. Cheating ignorant, duping simple people, hiding knowledge to seem being wise. The powerful ones are ruling and doing outrage, the weak ones are afraid and are serving to others. In appearance are disinterested, but in fact are grasping. Inside are insidious, but outside are amiable and polite. If made a crime – don’t regret, if you got luck – don’t enjoy…”
The weltanschauung of Ruan Ji is mostly refers to Daoist tradition, but it doesn’t mean that he is Daoist. He took from Daoist philosophers of ancient what he thinks is important, in essence, he “is looking truth inside himself”. It is not just knowing the truth, but looking for good and truth inside cruel and imperfect world, and main – it is looking for world and human connection.
Ruan Ji is a many-sided personality, but, exactly poetry brought him glory and fame of the greatest poet of that epoch. Liu Se gave a classical evaluation to the place of poetry at the life of Ruan Ji. Comparing two genius of the III century, Ji Kang and Ruan Ji, he wrote:” Ji Kang expressed in his compositions intellect of outstanding thinker, Ruan Ji put in his poems all his spirit and all his life. Their voices are different, but they sound in full harmony! Their wings are not similar, but they are flying in absolute unity!” Zhong Rong in his work “The Categories of Poems” ascribes poetry of Ruan Ji to the highest rank of poetry:”…his poetry can strengthen one’s temper and spirit, can cast a deep thoughtful mood,… but the meaning of his poetry is hard for understanding.” Micudzi Fukanaga see in Ruan Jis poetry unique try to explain experience, which in Buddhism is called Satori.
In the poetry of Ruan Ji there are the same mood, what differs his soul and his weltanschauung. We can find in his poetry biting, caustic, angry critics to Confucians dogmatists and rulers, and glorifying the gladness of “carefree wandering”, anger and sorrow, what is a result of a conflict of a Junzi and “Chaos time”.
Poetry of the “Sage from Bamboo Grove” differs with a peculiar broad view on the world. Ruan Jis poetry is exceptionally lyric poetry, in which he says only about himself. In his poetry are mixing up the most different thoughts, moods and feelings. Ruan Ji often uses contrast to underline the beauty of a moment that is always neighboring with the irresistible “emptiness” of death. For example, he often uses an image of bright flowers that are blooming on old graves.
“Bushes of flowers
Leafy blooming on graves…”
''''
In his poems are confronting illusory life and tensity of every day’s matters, glory of a hero and solitude of a hermit, love passion and inevitability of separation…
Poet, don’t even with one word, mentions about people, he lived among, about his life circumstances. Ruan Ji prefers using not concrete characters - a hero, a hermit, a Confucian, a saint man, a sage, using examples from living long time ago ancestors. Even geographical names, he uses not modern, but ancient ones.
All the lyrical poetry of Ruan Ji is penetrated with a thought of sorrow. Poet accepts sorrow as eternal and unavoidable friend, who is near him all along life. He writes:” Only with sorrow thoughts are occurring, without sorrow there is no thoughtful mood…” In the first poem of his almanac “Poems from my heart” Ruan Ji talks about this sad thought.
''“Being sleepless at midnight,
I rise to play lute.
The moon is visible through the curtains
And a gentle breeze sways the cords of my robe.
A lonely wild goose cries in the wilderness
And is echoed by birds in the woods.
As it circles, it gazes
At me, alone, imbued with sadness.”''
'' ''
Here author recreate peculiar background of authors constant sorrow: nights haze, light of the moon, slight gentle breeze, voices of invisible birds… Such sad mood is appearing in almost all poems in his almanac. Not always he hide his feelings behind nature, sometimes his voice break away to shout, where one can hear confusion and fear: “I loose my way, what will be with me now?”
At the III century in China appeared overall interest to music. Music in China was the matter of national importance. Qin and flute got the same importance as brush for writing or living language. For Ruan Ji music meant an ideal of harmony. Ruan Ji is looking music not in sounds, but in the world, music that is inherent to world. He links music with “natural way” . Ruan Ji don’t like when music cast non-constant feelings, even if it is sorrow or joy, especially if man feel pleasure of his emotional experience. Ruan Ji explains his understanding of music with the example of one episode from Confucius life:” Once, Confucius in state of Qi had heard ancient music, and then three months he didn’t know the taste of meat.” “That means - Ruan Ji explained - that perfect music doesn’t arouse desires. Heart is serene, spirit is placid, and then is unknown the taste of meat.” If to look from this point of view, we can understand that music of ancient wise men is just only a harmony.
Ruan Ji tells about himself in following words:
''“In a forest lives one rare bird.
She calls herself fairy bird feng.
At the bright morning she drinks from pure springs.
At the evening she flies away to the pikes of far mountains.
Her hoot reaches remote lands.
By straining neck, she sees all eight deserts.
She rushes together with autumn wind,
Strong wings putting together,
She will blow away to west to Kunlun Mountains,
When she will be back?
But she hates all kind of places and titles,
Her heart is tormented by sorrow and anguish.''
''''
Poet speaks of his life:” Only one moment – but how much sorrow is hidden!” At this “moment of sorrow” he found immortality. --
Historical background
The life and creative work of Ruan Ji is associated with the crucial and dramatic period in China history, which was followed by large changes in different spheres of life. After virtuous rule of Han dynasty, in which the norm of ritual piety, philanthropy principles of legendary rulers of ancient, aspiration to nurture officials – calm, reasonable, serving for consciousness, not of fear, became governmental norm, began so called Period of Disunity.
Ruan Ji witnessed bloody wars, struggles for power in the court of Wei, and the 's rise. Despite the dim times, this was a period of great achievements in spiritual culture. Bright peculiarity of that time was intellectual life: interests of metaphysics for discussion of which were hold open academic forums – “pure talks”, profound interest to the problem of highest purpose, the great popularity of Daoism and spreading of foreign learning – Buddhism, rapid expansion of lyrical poetry; flourishing of all fine arts, from painting to architecture, bringing the spirit of “grace and freedom” to that epoch.
Invention of cheap paper in the second century spread the literacy among large population, what brought to occurrence of large amount of educated people – ''shi'' . Consisting of people with sense of understanding the only true idea of good, truth and justice, virtue. Heroes of the day became irreproachable virtues man, who relinquished from politics, and preferred still life in the countryside or hermit’s life to shine of the court life. They, so called sublime man – ''junzi'' , brought into being ideas of the protest against iniquitous reign, hidden by exterior unconcern, and greatness in undemanding and pureness. So, in view of this new people the life of officials was “the life of dust and dirt”, and real dirt of peasant labor was a symbol of purity.
Evaluation, inner world, ideas
Ruan Ji was one of that kind of people, who themselves made their life a masterpiece. In the Chen Shous “History of Wei dynasty” the mentioning of Ruan Ji was more than modest: “…highly talented, having an ability to avoid the chains of courts morality and traditions, but unbalanced and undisciplined; was eager to banish his temptations. Ruan Ji honored ancient Daoist sage Zhuangzi." In the “History of Jing dynasty” is written: ”Appearance of Ji was uncommon, stubborn and self-willed tempered, proud and independent. Following only the gusts of soul… Sometimes he would wander away on the hills and forget to return, and at length come back crying bitterly; at other times he would shut himself up with his books and see no one for months. He read a lot especially he liked Laozi and Zhuangzi. He drank a lot, he possessed the skill of whistling and loved to play on Qin. Once inspired by idea, he forgot about everything in the world. Many considered him to be a madman.”
In Chinese traditional thinking exists three opinions on Ruan Ji. First – wholly negative – claiming him to be inspirer of vicious “dissoluteness”. Second - consider him as wielder of “disturbance.” Zhen Yu wrote: “A lot consider Ruan Ji to be dissolutive, unrestrained man, but it is insufficient opinion… Was not talking about imperfection of others, looked only with whites of his eyes. Is this not an address to the world of mankind? In a mourning ate meat and drank wine, groan and spited out with blood – isn’t it a care of man's Dao . At that time reigning powers were cruel… but Ruan Ji died with natural death – isn’t it a wisdom of self preservation?” Third opinion – makes Ruan Ji a wise man… the one who penetrated in hidden ”Dao Art”. Cui ShuLiang wrote about him: “Ruan Ji stood up above all the mankind, was being “out of validity and invalidity”, none was able “achieve his greatness, and measure the depth of his thoughts”, he got in “refined begin of all matters”…the poet Wang Ji praised him as first man, after legendary rulers of ancient, who found the way to paradise of universal careless intoxication.
In the reference of Fu Yi, who describes Ruan Ji as a connoisseur of ancient essays, mentioned that “poet with diligence was engaged in sciences” and till the nightfall was reading books. This quiet solitude and obsession in perceiving the knowledge of ancients was his hidden source of inspiration. For Ruan Ji was widely opened way to court honor. But from the beginning he didn’t hide his despise to career of official. One of his biographers told: “Ji in the beginning tried to improve the world, but lived on the Wei and Jing boundary. In China there were little Junzi, who preserved themselves. Because of that Ji abandoned his affairs, and was intoxicated all the time”.
In one of Ruan Jis poem can be seen how poet throw away the norms of Confucius, although they were followed by such virtuous man like Confucius students Yan Yuan and Min Sun. He obtains wisdom of legendary Daoist Xian Menzi. Talking about the changes in the poet ideals, we can remember a statement “Is there any rituals for man like I am?”
One day at the court was told about the son, who killed his mother, Ruan Ji said: “ Ha! If he gone so far to kill his mother, he could allow himself to kill his father too”. All, who heard this, “lost their gift of talking” and demanded him to explain himself, because “The killing of father is the worst crime in the Empire , how could you say that it is possible?” Ruan Ji replied: “Animals and birds know their mother, but are unaware of the father. Killing father - is becoming like animals and birds, but those who killed their own mother – are even worse then animals.” Chronicler added: “No one could object his words”.
Ruan Ji refused the rules not only in court. There is a story telling that he was playing chess when received news about death of his mother. His chess partner asked him to end the game, but Ruan Ji cold-bloodedly finished the game, then drank two measures of wine and started groan. On the funeral he “wept so violently, that he brought up several pints of blood. He didn’t mourn and, despite observing the decencies, ate meat and drank wine. Yet when people came to support him, he showed them only the whites of his eyes. While Ji Kang came, who carried along with him a jar of wine and Qin, was welcomed with the pupils and met him with happiness.
The name of Ruan Ji is related with activity of famous group “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”. The name of Ruan Ji is always called first among the seven. Among them were Ji Kang, Shan Tao , Liu Ling , Ruan Xian , Xiang Xiu , Wang Rong . They created an image of “quite uninhibitedly enjoying” wise men, in image of which, realized an old dream of Daoists free concord of free men, who are gifted with hidden wisdom “to be together, not being together” and “act jointly, not acting jointly”. The cup of wine, which became a symbol of accustom to “contemplation a lot of wonders”, about what Daoist were talking about, united them even more than any principles. Ruan Ji talks in his works about “remote” things, but he says about “Bamboo Groove” nothing, although this group became main in his searches of free and frank friendship.
Creations
We can mark out some directions in Ruan Ji’s creation, which reveals different sides of his inner world: philosophical essay “About penetration into the Book of Changes”,”About Music”, where are delivered ideas on the nature of a world order, “About penetration into Laozi”, ”About understanding of Zhuangzi”, “The life of Great Man”. The most fame Ruan Ji achieved by the almanac called “Poems from my heart”, which contains 82 poems. How already said his contemporaries, one of Ruan Ji’s composition “The life of Great Man” is a composition in which he revealed all his innermost thoughts. Main character of the composition is a nameless hermit, whose characteristics are described at the beginning of essay:” Ten thousands li were for him as one step, thousands years,- as one morning. He pursued nothing, stopped on nothing; he was being in search of Great Dao, and nowhere got shelter… Self-lovers scold and abuse him, ignoramus reproach him, but no one knew refined wanderings of his Spirit. But old man didn’t betray his pursuit, despite being abused and bewilderment of society…”
Exactly by the means of this wise man, Ruan Ji reveals his own innermost ideas. In his composition, Ruan Ji ridicules Confucians morals and rituals. “Appeared ruler and at once flourished cruelty, came into being vassals and at once appeared faithlessness and betrayal. Established rituals and laws, but people are bound and are not free. Cheating ignorant, duping simple people, hiding knowledge to seem being wise. The powerful ones are ruling and doing outrage, the weak ones are afraid and are serving to others. In appearance are disinterested, but in fact are grasping. Inside are insidious, but outside are amiable and polite. If made a crime – don’t regret, if you got luck – don’t enjoy…”
The weltanschauung of Ruan Ji is mostly refers to Daoist tradition, but it doesn’t mean that he is Daoist. He took from Daoist philosophers of ancient what he thinks is important, in essence, he “is looking truth inside himself”. It is not just knowing the truth, but looking for good and truth inside cruel and imperfect world, and main – it is looking for world and human connection.
Ruan Ji is a many-sided personality, but, exactly poetry brought him glory and fame of the greatest poet of that epoch. Liu Se gave a classical evaluation to the place of poetry at the life of Ruan Ji. Comparing two genius of the III century, Ji Kang and Ruan Ji, he wrote:” Ji Kang expressed in his compositions intellect of outstanding thinker, Ruan Ji put in his poems all his spirit and all his life. Their voices are different, but they sound in full harmony! Their wings are not similar, but they are flying in absolute unity!” Zhong Rong in his work “The Categories of Poems” ascribes poetry of Ruan Ji to the highest rank of poetry:”…his poetry can strengthen one’s temper and spirit, can cast a deep thoughtful mood,… but the meaning of his poetry is hard for understanding.” Micudzi Fukanaga see in Ruan Jis poetry unique try to explain experience, which in Buddhism is called Satori.
In the poetry of Ruan Ji there are the same mood, what differs his soul and his weltanschauung. We can find in his poetry biting, caustic, angry critics to Confucians dogmatists and rulers, and glorifying the gladness of “carefree wandering”, anger and sorrow, what is a result of a conflict of a Junzi and “Chaos time”.
Poetry of the “Sage from Bamboo Grove” differs with a peculiar broad view on the world. Ruan Jis poetry is exceptionally lyric poetry, in which he says only about himself. In his poetry are mixing up the most different thoughts, moods and feelings. Ruan Ji often uses contrast to underline the beauty of a moment that is always neighboring with the irresistible “emptiness” of death. For example, he often uses an image of bright flowers that are blooming on old graves.
“Bushes of flowers
Leafy blooming on graves…”
''''
In his poems are confronting illusory life and tensity of every day’s matters, glory of a hero and solitude of a hermit, love passion and inevitability of separation…
Poet, don’t even with one word, mentions about people, he lived among, about his life circumstances. Ruan Ji prefers using not concrete characters - a hero, a hermit, a Confucian, a saint man, a sage, using examples from living long time ago ancestors. Even geographical names, he uses not modern, but ancient ones.
All the lyrical poetry of Ruan Ji is penetrated with a thought of sorrow. Poet accepts sorrow as eternal and unavoidable friend, who is near him all along life. He writes:” Only with sorrow thoughts are occurring, without sorrow there is no thoughtful mood…” In the first poem of his almanac “Poems from my heart” Ruan Ji talks about this sad thought.
''“Being sleepless at midnight,
I rise to play lute.
The moon is visible through the curtains
And a gentle breeze sways the cords of my robe.
A lonely wild goose cries in the wilderness
And is echoed by birds in the woods.
As it circles, it gazes
At me, alone, imbued with sadness.”''
'' ''
Here author recreate peculiar background of authors constant sorrow: nights haze, light of the moon, slight gentle breeze, voices of invisible birds… Such sad mood is appearing in almost all poems in his almanac. Not always he hide his feelings behind nature, sometimes his voice break away to shout, where one can hear confusion and fear: “I loose my way, what will be with me now?”
At the III century in China appeared overall interest to music. Music in China was the matter of national importance. Qin and flute got the same importance as brush for writing or living language. For Ruan Ji music meant an ideal of harmony. Ruan Ji is looking music not in sounds, but in the world, music that is inherent to world. He links music with “natural way” . Ruan Ji don’t like when music cast non-constant feelings, even if it is sorrow or joy, especially if man feel pleasure of his emotional experience. Ruan Ji explains his understanding of music with the example of one episode from Confucius life:” Once, Confucius in state of Qi had heard ancient music, and then three months he didn’t know the taste of meat.” “That means - Ruan Ji explained - that perfect music doesn’t arouse desires. Heart is serene, spirit is placid, and then is unknown the taste of meat.” If to look from this point of view, we can understand that music of ancient wise men is just only a harmony.
Ruan Ji tells about himself in following words:
''“In a forest lives one rare bird.
She calls herself fairy bird feng.
At the bright morning she drinks from pure springs.
At the evening she flies away to the pikes of far mountains.
Her hoot reaches remote lands.
By straining neck, she sees all eight deserts.
She rushes together with autumn wind,
Strong wings putting together,
She will blow away to west to Kunlun Mountains,
When she will be back?
But she hates all kind of places and titles,
Her heart is tormented by sorrow and anguish.''
''''
Poet speaks of his life:” Only one moment – but how much sorrow is hidden!” At this “moment of sorrow” he found immortality. --
Robert van Gulik
Robert Hans van Gulik was a highly educated orientalist, diplomat, musician and writer, best known for the Judge Dee mysteries, the protagonist of which he borrowed from the 18th century Chinese detective novel .
Van Gulik was the son of a medical officer in the Dutch army of what was then called the Dutch East Indies . He was born in the Netherlands but from the age of three till twelve he lived in Batavia where he was tutored in and other languages. He went to the University of Leyden in 1934 and obtained his Ph.D in 1935. His talents as a linguist suited him for a job in the Dutch Foreign Service which he joined in 1935 and he was then stationed in various countries, mostly in East Asia .
He was in Tokyo when Japan declared war on the Netherlands in 1941 but he, and the rest of the Allied diplomatic staff, were evacuated in 1942. He spent most of the rest of World War II as the secretary for the Dutch mission to Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government in Chongqing. While in Chongqing he married a Chinese woman , the daughter of an Imperial mandarin . Together they had four children.
After the war ended, he returned to the Netherlands then went to the United States as the Councillor of the Dutch embassy in Washington D.C.. He returned to Japan in 1949 and stayed there for the next four years. While in Tokyo he published his first two books, ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'' and a privately published book of erotic colored prints from the Ming dynasty. Later postings took him all over the world from New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Beirut to The Hague. From 1965 until his early death from cancer in 1967 he was the Dutch ambassador to Japan.
''See also the article on the Judge Dee series''
During World War II Robert van Gulik translated the 18th century detective novel ''Dee Goong An'' into English under the title ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'' . The main character of this book, Judge Dee, was based on the real statesman and detective Di Renjie who lived in the seventh century during the Tang Dynasty , though in the novel itself elements of Ming Dynasty China were mixed in.
Thanks to his translation of this largely forgotten work, van Gulik became interested in Chinese detective fiction and he decided to attempt one himself. His first attempt, ''The Chinese Bell Murders'', was written from 1948-1950 and "borrowed" Judge Dee and his assistants from ''Dee Goong An''.
His intent in writing this first Judge Dee novel was, as he wrote in remarks on ''The Chinese Bell Murders'', "to show modern Chinese and Japanese writers that their own ancient crime-literature has plenty of source material for detective and mystery-stories"
Van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries follow the long tradition of Chinese Detective fiction, intentionally preserving a number of key elements of that writing culture. Most notably he had Judge Dee solve three different cases, a traditional device in Chinese mysteries.
The whodunit element is also less important in the Judge Dee stories than it is in the traditional Western detective story, though still more so than in traditional Chinese detective stories.
Robert van Gulik studied ''Indisch Recht'' and ''Indologie'' at Leiden University from 1929 until 1934, receiving his doctorate for a dissertation on the horse cult in Northeast Asia. Though he made his career in the Netherlands diplomatic service, he kept up his studies. During his life he wrote twenty-odd essays and monographs on various subjects, mainly but not exclusively on aspects of Chinese culture. Typically, much of his scholarly work was first published outside of the Netherlands.
In his lifetime Van Gulik was recognized as a European expert on Imperial Chinese jurisprudence.
The author, having finished the translation of the story ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'' around 1948, included an essay on the largely forgotten ''genre'' of Chinese detective stories. He suggested in his afterword that it was easy to imagine re-writing some of the old Chinese case histories with an eye towards ''modern'' readers. Not long after he published ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'', van Gulik himself tried his hand at creating a detective story based on some older Chinese case histories. This became the book The Chinese Maze Murders . As van Gulik thought the story would have more interest to Japanese and Chinese readers, he had it translated into Japanese by a friend and it was sold in Japan under the title "Meiro-no-satsujin". With the success of the book, van Gulik embarked on translating the book into Chinese. The translation was published by a Singapore book publisher in 1953. The reviews were good and van Gulik wrote two more books over the next few years, also with an eye towards Japanese and then Chinese editions.
After all this work was done, van Gulik found a publisher for English language versions of these stories and the first English language book was published in 1957. Later books were written and published in English first, the translations came afterwards.
*''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee''
*''The Chinese Maze Murders''
*''The Chinese Bell Murders''
*''The Chinese Lake Murders''
*''The Chinese Gold Murders''
*''The Chinese Nail Murders''
*''The Haunted Monastery''
*''The Emperor's Pearl''
*''The Lacquer Screen''
*''The Red Pavilion''
*''The Monkey and the Tiger'', short stories
*''The Willow Pattern ''
*''Murder in Canton''
*''The Phantom of the Temple''
*''Judge Dee at Work'', short stories
*''Necklace and Calabash''
*''Poets and Murder''
''Judge Dee at Work'' contains a "Judge Dee Chronology" telling of Dee's various posts, stories -- either books or short stories -- set during that posting, and giving information about the stories. Based on this chronology, the works can be arranged in this order:
* 663 - Judge Dee is a magistrate of Peng-lai, a fictional district on the north-east coast of China.
** ''The Chinese Gold Murders''
** ''The Lacquer Screen''.
** ''Five Auspicious Clouds'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''The Red Tape Murders'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''He came with the Rain'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
* 666 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Han-yuan, a fictional district on a lakeshore near the capital of Chang-An.
** ''The Chinese Lake Murders''
** ''The Morning of the Monkey'', a short story in ''The Monkey and the Tiger''
** ''The Murder on the Lotus Pond'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
* 666 - Judge Dee is traveling and forced to take shelter in a monastery.
** ''The Haunted Monastery''
* 668 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Poo-yang, a fictional wealthy district through which the Grand Canal of China runs .
** ''The Chinese Bell Murders''
** ''The Two Beggars'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''The Wrong Sword'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''The Red Pavilion''
** ''The Emperor's Pearl''
** ''Poets and Murder''
** ''Necklace and Calabash''
* 670 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Lan-fang, a fictional district at the western frontier of Tang China.
** ''The Chinese Maze Murders''
** ''The Phantom of the Temple''
** ''The Coffins of the Emperor'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''Murder on New Year's Eve'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
* 676 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Pei-chow, a fictional district in the far north of Tang China.
** ''The Chinese Nail Murders''
** ''The Night of the Tiger'', a short story in ''The Monkey and the Tiger''
* 677 - Judge Dee is the Lord Chief Justice in the Imperial capital of Chang-An.
** ''The Willow Pattern''
* 681 - Judge Dee is the Lord Chief Justice for all of China.
** ''Murder in Canton''
Two books, ''Poets and Murder'' and ''Necklace and Calabash'', were not listed in the chronology but they were both from the time when Judge Dee was the magistrate in Poo-yang.
* . ''A Blackfoot-English vocabulary based on material from the Southern Peigans''. Amsterdam, Uitgave van de N. V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers-Maatschappij, 1934. 12.
*''The Lore of the Chinese lute; an essay in ch'in ideology''
*''Hsi K'ang and his Poetical Essay on the Lute''
*''Siddham; An Essay on the History of Sanskrit Studies in China and Japan''
*''Sexual Life in Ancient China. A preliminary survey of Chinese sex and society from ca. 1500 B.C. till 1644 A.D.'' .
*''The gibbon in China. An essay in Chinese animal lore''
Van Gulik was the son of a medical officer in the Dutch army of what was then called the Dutch East Indies . He was born in the Netherlands but from the age of three till twelve he lived in Batavia where he was tutored in and other languages. He went to the University of Leyden in 1934 and obtained his Ph.D in 1935. His talents as a linguist suited him for a job in the Dutch Foreign Service which he joined in 1935 and he was then stationed in various countries, mostly in East Asia .
He was in Tokyo when Japan declared war on the Netherlands in 1941 but he, and the rest of the Allied diplomatic staff, were evacuated in 1942. He spent most of the rest of World War II as the secretary for the Dutch mission to Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government in Chongqing. While in Chongqing he married a Chinese woman , the daughter of an Imperial mandarin . Together they had four children.
After the war ended, he returned to the Netherlands then went to the United States as the Councillor of the Dutch embassy in Washington D.C.. He returned to Japan in 1949 and stayed there for the next four years. While in Tokyo he published his first two books, ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'' and a privately published book of erotic colored prints from the Ming dynasty. Later postings took him all over the world from New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Beirut to The Hague. From 1965 until his early death from cancer in 1967 he was the Dutch ambassador to Japan.
The Judge Dee mysteries
''See also the article on the Judge Dee series''
During World War II Robert van Gulik translated the 18th century detective novel ''Dee Goong An'' into English under the title ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'' . The main character of this book, Judge Dee, was based on the real statesman and detective Di Renjie who lived in the seventh century during the Tang Dynasty , though in the novel itself elements of Ming Dynasty China were mixed in.
Thanks to his translation of this largely forgotten work, van Gulik became interested in Chinese detective fiction and he decided to attempt one himself. His first attempt, ''The Chinese Bell Murders'', was written from 1948-1950 and "borrowed" Judge Dee and his assistants from ''Dee Goong An''.
His intent in writing this first Judge Dee novel was, as he wrote in remarks on ''The Chinese Bell Murders'', "to show modern Chinese and Japanese writers that their own ancient crime-literature has plenty of source material for detective and mystery-stories"
Van Gulik's Judge Dee mysteries follow the long tradition of Chinese Detective fiction, intentionally preserving a number of key elements of that writing culture. Most notably he had Judge Dee solve three different cases, a traditional device in Chinese mysteries.
The whodunit element is also less important in the Judge Dee stories than it is in the traditional Western detective story, though still more so than in traditional Chinese detective stories.
Other works
Robert van Gulik studied ''Indisch Recht'' and ''Indologie'' at Leiden University from 1929 until 1934, receiving his doctorate for a dissertation on the horse cult in Northeast Asia. Though he made his career in the Netherlands diplomatic service, he kept up his studies. During his life he wrote twenty-odd essays and monographs on various subjects, mainly but not exclusively on aspects of Chinese culture. Typically, much of his scholarly work was first published outside of the Netherlands.
In his lifetime Van Gulik was recognized as a European expert on Imperial Chinese jurisprudence.
Bibliography
Judge Dee
The author, having finished the translation of the story ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'' around 1948, included an essay on the largely forgotten ''genre'' of Chinese detective stories. He suggested in his afterword that it was easy to imagine re-writing some of the old Chinese case histories with an eye towards ''modern'' readers. Not long after he published ''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee'', van Gulik himself tried his hand at creating a detective story based on some older Chinese case histories. This became the book The Chinese Maze Murders . As van Gulik thought the story would have more interest to Japanese and Chinese readers, he had it translated into Japanese by a friend and it was sold in Japan under the title "Meiro-no-satsujin". With the success of the book, van Gulik embarked on translating the book into Chinese. The translation was published by a Singapore book publisher in 1953. The reviews were good and van Gulik wrote two more books over the next few years, also with an eye towards Japanese and then Chinese editions.
After all this work was done, van Gulik found a publisher for English language versions of these stories and the first English language book was published in 1957. Later books were written and published in English first, the translations came afterwards.
The Judge Dee Mysteries in the order in which they were written
*''Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee''
*''The Chinese Maze Murders''
*''The Chinese Bell Murders''
*''The Chinese Lake Murders''
*''The Chinese Gold Murders''
*''The Chinese Nail Murders''
*''The Haunted Monastery''
*''The Emperor's Pearl''
*''The Lacquer Screen''
*''The Red Pavilion''
*''The Monkey and the Tiger'', short stories
*''The Willow Pattern ''
*''Murder in Canton''
*''The Phantom of the Temple''
*''Judge Dee at Work'', short stories
*''Necklace and Calabash''
*''Poets and Murder''
The Judge Dee Stories in the order in which they were set
''Judge Dee at Work'' contains a "Judge Dee Chronology" telling of Dee's various posts, stories -- either books or short stories -- set during that posting, and giving information about the stories. Based on this chronology, the works can be arranged in this order:
* 663 - Judge Dee is a magistrate of Peng-lai, a fictional district on the north-east coast of China.
** ''The Chinese Gold Murders''
** ''The Lacquer Screen''.
** ''Five Auspicious Clouds'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''The Red Tape Murders'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''He came with the Rain'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
* 666 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Han-yuan, a fictional district on a lakeshore near the capital of Chang-An.
** ''The Chinese Lake Murders''
** ''The Morning of the Monkey'', a short story in ''The Monkey and the Tiger''
** ''The Murder on the Lotus Pond'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
* 666 - Judge Dee is traveling and forced to take shelter in a monastery.
** ''The Haunted Monastery''
* 668 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Poo-yang, a fictional wealthy district through which the Grand Canal of China runs .
** ''The Chinese Bell Murders''
** ''The Two Beggars'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''The Wrong Sword'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''The Red Pavilion''
** ''The Emperor's Pearl''
** ''Poets and Murder''
** ''Necklace and Calabash''
* 670 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Lan-fang, a fictional district at the western frontier of Tang China.
** ''The Chinese Maze Murders''
** ''The Phantom of the Temple''
** ''The Coffins of the Emperor'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
** ''Murder on New Year's Eve'', a short story in ''Judge Dee at Work''
* 676 - Judge Dee is the magistrate of Pei-chow, a fictional district in the far north of Tang China.
** ''The Chinese Nail Murders''
** ''The Night of the Tiger'', a short story in ''The Monkey and the Tiger''
* 677 - Judge Dee is the Lord Chief Justice in the Imperial capital of Chang-An.
** ''The Willow Pattern''
* 681 - Judge Dee is the Lord Chief Justice for all of China.
** ''Murder in Canton''
Two books, ''Poets and Murder'' and ''Necklace and Calabash'', were not listed in the chronology but they were both from the time when Judge Dee was the magistrate in Poo-yang.
Selected scholarly works
* . ''A Blackfoot-English vocabulary based on material from the Southern Peigans''. Amsterdam, Uitgave van de N. V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers-Maatschappij, 1934. 12.
*''The Lore of the Chinese lute; an essay in ch'in ideology''
*''Hsi K'ang and his Poetical Essay on the Lute''
*''Siddham; An Essay on the History of Sanskrit Studies in China and Japan''
*''Sexual Life in Ancient China. A preliminary survey of Chinese sex and society from ca. 1500 B.C. till 1644 A.D.'' .
*''The gibbon in China. An essay in Chinese animal lore''
Qin schools
A qin school is a school of guqin players that play in a style that is different from other styles.
People often talk about regional styles because such a model simplifies things — and because it is still somewhat applicable, though less so now than 100 years ago. Generally guqin is highly individualistic so players' approaches will be very personal.
These are the main schools in China:
*
* in Changshu 常熟
* in Sichuan 四川
*
*
*
*
*
* in Guangdong 廣東/广东
*Min in Fujian 福建
*Shaoxing
*Wu
*Shan'nan
*Songjiang
*Jinling
*Fanchuan
Today the three main centers of guqin are Beijing, the Jiangnan area and Sichuan . Most major masters as of the 1950s were located in Beijing or Jiangnan; before that, they had been more concentrated in Jiangnan. For instance, Zha Fuxi and Wu Jinglüe spent many years living and teaching in Jiangnan before being relocated to Beijing for official duties. "Regional styles" as of 50-60 years ago would be rather different from "regional styles" in the present day, owing to the importance of a few masters and the conservatories in Beijing and Shanghai. Presently, given the strength of the system, "northern and southern conservatory styles" probably deserve their own status, separate from the older regional styles.
As far as older regional styles, the best-known ones are from Jiangnan and Sichuan. Some have relocated several times, like the Zhucheng/Mei'an style.
Major living Jiangnan lineages include Guangling, Zhe and Wumen. Others, like a "Jinling" style centered in Nanjing, don't really seem to exist anymore — though there's always an old master or two as counterexample.
#For several generations the major qin lineage in Zhejiang has been surnamed Xu; Yao Bingyan and his tentative "Yaomen" lineage are an off-shoot. One can't really say much about this style; it is not so well known, though several Xumen masters have been very respected.
#In Suzhou there is the Wumen style, most associated with Wu Zhaoji and his teachers before him. It seems "Wumen" is named largely after Wu Zhaoji himself, and his legacy seems to define the school in large measure.
#Guangling style is very prominent, mainly because it heavily influenced the "southern conservatory style". Guangling was originally centered in Yangzhou; its two major 20th century masters were Zhang Ziqian and Liu Shaochun. These taught a number of students destined for prominence, and Zhang himself became the de facto leading qin master in Jiangnan during the 1950s and 1960s. Major players today with strong Guangling influence include Gong Yi, Cheng Gongliang, Lin Youren, Mei Yueqiang, and their various students.
Generally , the Jiangnan styles are thought of as rather light and elegant. Guangling is very abstract, even "floating", and today the southern conservatory style is the more "light and elegant" of the conservatory styles. Sichuan, as early as the Tang dynasty, was perceived as having qin play characterized by rushing, tumbling energy. The modern Sichuan/Shu/Chuan school was largely founded by Zhang Kongshan in the late 19th century; his inheritors have been very numerous. As the Sichuan style fanned out into other areas of China , it became known as "Fanchuan", whose connotation is something like "Chuan – Everywhere". Today the main representative is Zeng Chengwei, who has a very focused, straightforward style.
These schools started in Shandong, with a lot of folk influence and energy. "Zhucheng" still refers to the sub-set of players who stayed in Shandong. Xu Lisun became the doyen of the "Mei'an" style when he moved to Nantong, in Jiangnan. From there he taught many of the living Jiangnan players, directly or indirectly. In addition, a student of his named Wu Zonghan moved to Taiwan and has made Taiwan a major reservoir of Mei'an influence.
Moving down the east coast of China, we have Fujian. The "Min" school, of which Chen Changlin calls himself an inheritor, seems largely dead today. In Guangdong there is the Lingnan school, whose major player is Xie Daoxiu. Much cannot be said about these, though Lingnan playing is very interesting.
Miniature "regional styles" abound and are gathered around particular important teachers. For instance, many in Hong Kong studied from Cai Deyun, who has a very distinctive style ultimately derived from Sichuan.
The "southern conservatory style" is basically what goes on at the Shanghai Conservatory where qin is concerned. A number of masters taught there in the 1950s, and Gong Yi has been the doyen since then. He has numerous students; to some extent "southern conservatory style" reduces to "Gong Yi style", just like "Wumen" reduces to "Wu Zhaoji style". Gong Yi has very distinctive ideas and has done major interesting work.
Little is known about Beijing styles prior to the 1950s; the "big three" of mid-century Beijing all apparently had styles hailing from elsewhere. Guan Pinghu apparently based his playing on southern styles, though he studied with masters from all over; Wu Jinglüe and Zha Fuxi were both southerners. It's important to realize that there are lineages and micro-lineages and associations among all masters. For instance, there was some kind of long association between Zha Fuxi and Peng Qingshou that may have been artistically productive. In any event, if there is a "Beijing style" today, it is largely the "northern conservatory style".
Northern conservatory style has two main representatives today: Li Xiangting and Wu Wenguang. The primary older masters contributing to the making of this style were Wu Jinglüe, Zha Fuxi, and Guan Pinghu. Generally, the northern conservatory style is heavier, harder, and more intense than the southern conservatory style. Li Xiangting is of course known for being very hard and athletic in his playing; Wu Wenguang, while rather lighter, still has a more intense and serious tone than Gong Yi.
On top of the regional and conservatory styles, there is the style which does not fit into either. This is the style that many qin players would play since they may either have been taught by numerous teachers and so do not have a main regional style, or are mostly self-taught. It is from this that some interesting and sometimes eccentric styles exist since there are no constraints from the expectation of peers and/or teachers.
People often talk about regional styles because such a model simplifies things — and because it is still somewhat applicable, though less so now than 100 years ago. Generally guqin is highly individualistic so players' approaches will be very personal.
Styles and schools
These are the main schools in China:
*
* in Changshu 常熟
* in Sichuan 四川
*
*
*
*
*
* in Guangdong 廣東/广东
*Min in Fujian 福建
*Shaoxing
*Wu
*Shan'nan
*Songjiang
*Jinling
*Fanchuan
Today the three main centers of guqin are Beijing, the Jiangnan area and Sichuan . Most major masters as of the 1950s were located in Beijing or Jiangnan; before that, they had been more concentrated in Jiangnan. For instance, Zha Fuxi and Wu Jinglüe spent many years living and teaching in Jiangnan before being relocated to Beijing for official duties. "Regional styles" as of 50-60 years ago would be rather different from "regional styles" in the present day, owing to the importance of a few masters and the conservatories in Beijing and Shanghai. Presently, given the strength of the system, "northern and southern conservatory styles" probably deserve their own status, separate from the older regional styles.
Regional styles
As far as older regional styles, the best-known ones are from Jiangnan and Sichuan. Some have relocated several times, like the Zhucheng/Mei'an style.
Major living Jiangnan lineages include Guangling, Zhe and Wumen. Others, like a "Jinling" style centered in Nanjing, don't really seem to exist anymore — though there's always an old master or two as counterexample.
#For several generations the major qin lineage in Zhejiang has been surnamed Xu; Yao Bingyan and his tentative "Yaomen" lineage are an off-shoot. One can't really say much about this style; it is not so well known, though several Xumen masters have been very respected.
#In Suzhou there is the Wumen style, most associated with Wu Zhaoji and his teachers before him. It seems "Wumen" is named largely after Wu Zhaoji himself, and his legacy seems to define the school in large measure.
#Guangling style is very prominent, mainly because it heavily influenced the "southern conservatory style". Guangling was originally centered in Yangzhou; its two major 20th century masters were Zhang Ziqian and Liu Shaochun. These taught a number of students destined for prominence, and Zhang himself became the de facto leading qin master in Jiangnan during the 1950s and 1960s. Major players today with strong Guangling influence include Gong Yi, Cheng Gongliang, Lin Youren, Mei Yueqiang, and their various students.
Generally , the Jiangnan styles are thought of as rather light and elegant. Guangling is very abstract, even "floating", and today the southern conservatory style is the more "light and elegant" of the conservatory styles. Sichuan, as early as the Tang dynasty, was perceived as having qin play characterized by rushing, tumbling energy. The modern Sichuan/Shu/Chuan school was largely founded by Zhang Kongshan in the late 19th century; his inheritors have been very numerous. As the Sichuan style fanned out into other areas of China , it became known as "Fanchuan", whose connotation is something like "Chuan – Everywhere". Today the main representative is Zeng Chengwei, who has a very focused, straightforward style.
Zhucheng/Mei'an schools
These schools started in Shandong, with a lot of folk influence and energy. "Zhucheng" still refers to the sub-set of players who stayed in Shandong. Xu Lisun became the doyen of the "Mei'an" style when he moved to Nantong, in Jiangnan. From there he taught many of the living Jiangnan players, directly or indirectly. In addition, a student of his named Wu Zonghan moved to Taiwan and has made Taiwan a major reservoir of Mei'an influence.
Other schools
Moving down the east coast of China, we have Fujian. The "Min" school, of which Chen Changlin calls himself an inheritor, seems largely dead today. In Guangdong there is the Lingnan school, whose major player is Xie Daoxiu. Much cannot be said about these, though Lingnan playing is very interesting.
Miniature "regional styles" abound and are gathered around particular important teachers. For instance, many in Hong Kong studied from Cai Deyun, who has a very distinctive style ultimately derived from Sichuan.
Conservatory styles
The "southern conservatory style" is basically what goes on at the Shanghai Conservatory where qin is concerned. A number of masters taught there in the 1950s, and Gong Yi has been the doyen since then. He has numerous students; to some extent "southern conservatory style" reduces to "Gong Yi style", just like "Wumen" reduces to "Wu Zhaoji style". Gong Yi has very distinctive ideas and has done major interesting work.
Little is known about Beijing styles prior to the 1950s; the "big three" of mid-century Beijing all apparently had styles hailing from elsewhere. Guan Pinghu apparently based his playing on southern styles, though he studied with masters from all over; Wu Jinglüe and Zha Fuxi were both southerners. It's important to realize that there are lineages and micro-lineages and associations among all masters. For instance, there was some kind of long association between Zha Fuxi and Peng Qingshou that may have been artistically productive. In any event, if there is a "Beijing style" today, it is largely the "northern conservatory style".
Northern conservatory style has two main representatives today: Li Xiangting and Wu Wenguang. The primary older masters contributing to the making of this style were Wu Jinglüe, Zha Fuxi, and Guan Pinghu. Generally, the northern conservatory style is heavier, harder, and more intense than the southern conservatory style. Li Xiangting is of course known for being very hard and athletic in his playing; Wu Wenguang, while rather lighter, still has a more intense and serious tone than Gong Yi.
Individual style
On top of the regional and conservatory styles, there is the style which does not fit into either. This is the style that many qin players would play since they may either have been taught by numerous teachers and so do not have a main regional style, or are mostly self-taught. It is from this that some interesting and sometimes eccentric styles exist since there are no constraints from the expectation of peers and/or teachers.
North American Guqin Association
The North American Guqin Association is a based in the State of California, in the United States, which serves ''guqin'' players on the West Coast of the United States. Of the three major qin societies of the West , this society is the world's largest English speaking online community for the ''guqin'' and has the most connections and scope of activities.
NAGA was founded by the qin player Wang Fei in 1997 who is the current director of the society. As of 2006, the society has applied for non-profit status.
NAGA is the only society outside China to be instrumental in instigating an official 'Guqin Day' in the city of Milpitas in 2007. The day was set on the 7th of November.
Membership is open to all who have an interest in qin music which only requires an online registration. The society comprises 3 officers, several board members, consultants and numerous ordinary members. Members have the benefit of attending meetings and yajis as well as special events which can take place in China. They are also part of the mailing list.
History
NAGA was founded by the qin player Wang Fei in 1997 who is the current director of the society. As of 2006, the society has applied for non-profit status.
NAGA is the only society outside China to be instrumental in instigating an official 'Guqin Day' in the city of Milpitas in 2007. The day was set on the 7th of November.
Membership
Membership is open to all who have an interest in qin music which only requires an online registration. The society comprises 3 officers, several board members, consultants and numerous ordinary members. Members have the benefit of attending meetings and yajis as well as special events which can take place in China. They are also part of the mailing list.
List of guqin societies
This is a list of currently existing societies, of which some are learned societies.
It should be noted that there is a difference between qin schools and qin societies. The former concerns itself with transmission of a style, the latter concerns itself with performance. The qin society will encourage meetings with fellow qin players in order to play music and maybe discuss the nature of the qin. Gatherings like this is called yajis, or "elegant gatherings", which take place once every month or two. Sometimes, societies may go on excusions to places of natural beauty to play qin, or attend . They may also participate in competitions or research. Of course, societies do not have to have a strict structure to adhere to; it could mostly be on a leisurely basis. The main purpose of qin societies is to promote and play qin music. It is often a good opportunity to and learn to play the instrument, to ask questions and to receive answers.
Most qin schools and societies are based in China, but during the twentieth century many overseas societies began to form. Although qin study was initially confined to China in ancient times, countries like Japan also have their own qin traditions via import from China, but are extremely small in scale. The Tokyo Qin Society was recently founded, opening up more opportunities for qin study in Japan. Japan has published a ''qinpu'' in the past, known as ''Toukou Kinpu'' or ''Donggao Qinpu'' 【東臯琴譜】. Other qin societies exist in North America and Europe, which are less formal than their counterparts in mainland China, such as the North American Guqin Association and the London Youlan Qin Society.
琴社
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It should be noted that there is a difference between qin schools and qin societies. The former concerns itself with transmission of a style, the latter concerns itself with performance. The qin society will encourage meetings with fellow qin players in order to play music and maybe discuss the nature of the qin. Gatherings like this is called yajis, or "elegant gatherings", which take place once every month or two. Sometimes, societies may go on excusions to places of natural beauty to play qin, or attend . They may also participate in competitions or research. Of course, societies do not have to have a strict structure to adhere to; it could mostly be on a leisurely basis. The main purpose of qin societies is to promote and play qin music. It is often a good opportunity to and learn to play the instrument, to ask questions and to receive answers.
Most qin schools and societies are based in China, but during the twentieth century many overseas societies began to form. Although qin study was initially confined to China in ancient times, countries like Japan also have their own qin traditions via import from China, but are extremely small in scale. The Tokyo Qin Society was recently founded, opening up more opportunities for qin study in Japan. Japan has published a ''qinpu'' in the past, known as ''Toukou Kinpu'' or ''Donggao Qinpu'' 【東臯琴譜】. Other qin societies exist in North America and Europe, which are less formal than their counterparts in mainland China, such as the North American Guqin Association and the London Youlan Qin Society.
China and Asia
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Others
List of guqin literature
This is a list of literature for the guqin. Qin literature should be distinguished from which contains music tablature of some sort.
There are a number of ancient sources that discuss qin lore, qin theory and general qin literature. Some of these books are available inserted into certain qinpu . The basic contents of qin literature is mainly essays discussing and describing the nature of qin music, the theory behind the notes and tones, the method of correct play, the history of qin music, lists of mentions in literature, etc. The detail can be very concise to extremely detailed and thorough. Some are mostly philosophical or artistic musings, others are scientific and technical.
The biggest collection of qin literature in existence is the Ming dynasty Qinshu Daquan 【琴書大全】 , with a collection of 22 volumes.
*Qin Cao 【琴操】 by Cai Yong 蔡邕
: A list of qin pieces played at the time with their descriptions
*Qin Shuo 【琴說】 by Liu Xiang 劉向
*Qin Fu 【琴賦】 by Ji Kang 嵇康
: A poetical essay in praise of the qin
*Qin Lun 【琴論】 by Xie Zhuang 謝莊
*Qinsheng Lutu 【琴聲律圖】 by Qu Zhan 麴瞻
*Qinyong Zhifa 【琴用指法】 by Chen Zhongru 陳仲儒
: An explanation of finger techniques used at the time
*Qin Jue 【琴訣】 by Bi Yijian 薛易簡
*Qinshu Zhengsheng 【琴書正聲】 by Chen Kangshi 陳康士
*Qin Shi 【琴史】 by Zhu Changwen 朱長文
: A historical account of the qin with biographies of notable players
*Qin Shu 【琴述】 by Yuan Jue 袁桷
*Qin Jian 【琴箋】 by Cui Zhuandu 崔尊度
*Qin Yi 【琴議】 by Liu Jie 劉藉
*Qinlu Fawei 【琴律發微】 by Chen Minzi 陳敏子
*Lun Qin 【論琴】 by Cheng Yujian 成玉磵
*Qinshu Daquan 【琴書大全】
*Qinsheng Shilufa 【琴聲十六法】 by Liang Qian 冷謙
: An explanation of different styles of qin music
*Xishan Qinkuang 【谿山琴況】 by Xu Qingshan 徐青山
: An explanation of different styles of qin music
*Gu Qin Baze 【鼓琴八則】 by Dai Yuan 戴源
*Yugu Zhai Qinpu 【與古齋琴譜】 by Zhu Tongjun 祝桐君
: A manual for constructing qins, etc
*Qinxue Congshu 【琴學叢書】
: Qinpu but contains many volumes on qin lore and discussion of qin
*Qinshu Cunmu 【琴書存目】 by Zhou Ningyun
: A list of "existing" qinpu; most listed have never been found
*Yuhe Xuan Qinxue Zhaiyao 【玉鶴軒琴學摘要：抄本】 by 詹澄秋
*Qin Dao 【琴道】 by Gao Luopei 高羅佩
*Cunjian Guqin Qupu Jilan 【存見古琴曲譜輯覽】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西 ISBN 7-103-02379-4
: A "dictionary" of qin music. Lists existing qinpu, all their prefaces and afterwords, and a complete collection of full qin songs
*Guqin Chujie 【古琴初階】 by 查阜西/沉草農/張子謙
*Gu Zhifa Kao 【古指法考】
*Yiren yu Yishi 【藝人與藝事】 by Rong Tianqi 容天祈
*Deyin Tang Guqin Luncong 【德音堂古琴論叢】 by Huang Tipei 黃體培
*Tanyi Xulu 【談藝續綠】 by Rong Tianqi 容天祈
*Yongzhai Tanyi Lu 【庸齋談藝綠】 by Rong Tianqi 容天祈
*Fanyi Qinpu zhi Yanjiu 【翻譯琴譜之研究】 by Wang Guangqi 王光祈
*Luetan Huqin Yinyue Yishu 【略談古琴音樂藝術】 by Li Xiangting 李祥霆
*Qinshi Chubian 【琴史初編】 by Xu Jian 許健 ISBN 7-103-02304-2
*Yongle Qinshu Jicheng 【永樂琴書集成】 by 明成祖
*Guqin Xianyin 【古琴絃音】 by 卓芬玲
*Zhilu Xian-ge: Yanzou Jiaocai 【指路絃歌?演奏教材】 by 葛瀚聰
*Guqin Yinyue Yishu 【古琴音樂藝術】 by Ye Mingmei 葉明媚
*Tangdai Guqin Yanzou Meixue ji Yinyue Sixiang Yanjiu 【唐代古琴演奏美學及音樂思想研究】 by Li Xiangting 李祥霆
*Zha Fuxi Qinxue Wencui 【查阜西琴學文萃】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西
*Guqin Huizhen: Yanqin Zhai Song-Yuan-Ming-Qing Guqin Zhan 【古琴薈珍?硯琴齋宋元明清古琴展】
*Zhongguo Guqin Zhencui: Tang-Song-Yuan-Ming 109 zhang Chuanshi Guqin 【中國古琴珍萃?唐宋元明109張傳世古琴】 by 中國藝術研究院音樂研究所
*Guqin Yanzhoufa 【古琴演奏法】 by Gong Yi 龔一 ISBN 7-5320-6621-5
: Gong Yi's teaching manual for the qin. Includes fingering and many pieces in staff notation, some with qin tablature, some with Gong Yi's new guqin staff notation form.
*Qindao yu Meixue: Qindao zhi Sixiang Jichu yu Meixue Jiazhi zhi Yanjiu 【琴道與美學?琴道之思想基礎與美學價值之研究（自先秦兩漢迄魏晉南北朝）】 by 李美燕
*Zhongguo Qinxue 【中國琴學】 卷壹 by Li Mingzhong .
*Guqin Jishi Tulu: 2000 nian Taibei Guqin Yishu-jie Tang-Song-Yuan-Ming Baiqin Zhanshi Lu 【古琴紀事圖綠?2000年臺北古琴藝術節唐宋元明百琴展實綠】
*Zhongguo Qinshi Yanyi 【中国琴史演义】 by Yin Wei ISBN 7-222-03206-1/I?866
: An outline of the legendary and historical stories about the qin.
*Guqin Shiyong Jiaocheng 【古琴實用教程】 by Li Xiangting 李祥霆 ISBN 7-80667-439-X
: A very good teaching manual for the qin. Step by step with every piece explained in detail. Recommended.
*Qinxue Beiyao 【琴學備要】 by Gu Meigeng 顧梅羹
*Tangdai Chen Zhuo Lun Guqin Zhifa: Yao Bingyan Qinxue Zhu Shu zhi Yi 【唐代陳拙論古琴指法?姚丙炎琴學著述之一】 by Yao Bingyan and Huang Shuzhi ISBN 988-98739-1-5
: Newly edited printing of a Tang dynasty document on finger techniques. Highly useful. In a planned series of books printing important unpublished works called ''Qinxue Congkan''【琴學叢刊】 .
*Shiqu Buzhi Suocong Qi - Cheng Gongliang Dapu Ji 【是曲不知所從起-成公亮打譜集】by Cheng Gongliang and Huang Shuzhi ISBN 988-98739-2-3
: Volume II of the Qinxue Congkan.
*Jueshi Qingyin 【絕世清音】 by Wu Zhao 吳釗 ISBN 7-80574-908-6/G?259
: An introduction to the qin, its history and culture, with short biographies of recent and contemporary players; finely illustrated. With a CD contain eight melodies by the author.
*Taiyin Xisheng 【太音希聲】 by Yi Cunguo ISBN 7-308-04261-8/J?093
*Gu Qin 【古琴】 bt Zhang Huaying ISBN 7-213-02955-X
*Guqin Congtan 【古琴丛谈】 by Guo Ping ISBN 7-80713-209-4
*Guqin Meixue Sixiang Yanjiu 【古琴美学思想研究】 by Miao Jianhua ISBN 7-80692-224-5
*Qi-xian Midao: Jingdian Guqin Gushi 【七弦味味道?经典古古琴故事】 by Xian Zhi ISBN 7-80223-171-X
*Zhepai Guqin Yishu 【浙派古琴艺朮】 by Xu Junyue and Xiaoying ISBN 7-5321-3030-4
*Abiding With Antiquity 【與古齋琴譜】 by James Binkley ISBN 978-1430303466
*Zhongguo Qinyi Jinian 【中國琴藝紀年】
*Zha Fuxi Qinxue Wencui 【查阜西琴學文翠】
*Cunjian Guqin Zhifa Puzi Jilan 【存見古琴指法譜字輯覽?油印本】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西
*Gu Zhifa Kao 【古指法考?油印本】 by Guan Pinghu 管平湖
*Lidai Qinren Chuan 【歷代琴人傳?油印本】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西
*Zhongguo Minqin Tulan 【中國名琴圖鑒】
There are a number of ancient sources that discuss qin lore, qin theory and general qin literature. Some of these books are available inserted into certain qinpu . The basic contents of qin literature is mainly essays discussing and describing the nature of qin music, the theory behind the notes and tones, the method of correct play, the history of qin music, lists of mentions in literature, etc. The detail can be very concise to extremely detailed and thorough. Some are mostly philosophical or artistic musings, others are scientific and technical.
The biggest collection of qin literature in existence is the Ming dynasty Qinshu Daquan 【琴書大全】 , with a collection of 22 volumes.
Han
*Qin Cao 【琴操】 by Cai Yong 蔡邕
: A list of qin pieces played at the time with their descriptions
*Qin Shuo 【琴說】 by Liu Xiang 劉向
Wei Jin
*Qin Fu 【琴賦】 by Ji Kang 嵇康
: A poetical essay in praise of the qin
*Qin Lun 【琴論】 by Xie Zhuang 謝莊
*Qinsheng Lutu 【琴聲律圖】 by Qu Zhan 麴瞻
*Qinyong Zhifa 【琴用指法】 by Chen Zhongru 陳仲儒
: An explanation of finger techniques used at the time
Sui Tang
*Qin Jue 【琴訣】 by Bi Yijian 薛易簡
*Qinshu Zhengsheng 【琴書正聲】 by Chen Kangshi 陳康士
Song Yuan
*Qin Shi 【琴史】 by Zhu Changwen 朱長文
: A historical account of the qin with biographies of notable players
*Qin Shu 【琴述】 by Yuan Jue 袁桷
*Qin Jian 【琴箋】 by Cui Zhuandu 崔尊度
*Qin Yi 【琴議】 by Liu Jie 劉藉
*Qinlu Fawei 【琴律發微】 by Chen Minzi 陳敏子
*Lun Qin 【論琴】 by Cheng Yujian 成玉磵
Ming Qing
*Qinshu Daquan 【琴書大全】
*Qinsheng Shilufa 【琴聲十六法】 by Liang Qian 冷謙
: An explanation of different styles of qin music
*Xishan Qinkuang 【谿山琴況】 by Xu Qingshan 徐青山
: An explanation of different styles of qin music
*Gu Qin Baze 【鼓琴八則】 by Dai Yuan 戴源
*Yugu Zhai Qinpu 【與古齋琴譜】 by Zhu Tongjun 祝桐君
: A manual for constructing qins, etc
*Qinxue Congshu 【琴學叢書】
: Qinpu but contains many volumes on qin lore and discussion of qin
Modern
*Qinshu Cunmu 【琴書存目】 by Zhou Ningyun
: A list of "existing" qinpu; most listed have never been found
*Yuhe Xuan Qinxue Zhaiyao 【玉鶴軒琴學摘要：抄本】 by 詹澄秋
*Qin Dao 【琴道】 by Gao Luopei 高羅佩
*Cunjian Guqin Qupu Jilan 【存見古琴曲譜輯覽】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西 ISBN 7-103-02379-4
: A "dictionary" of qin music. Lists existing qinpu, all their prefaces and afterwords, and a complete collection of full qin songs
*Guqin Chujie 【古琴初階】 by 查阜西/沉草農/張子謙
*Gu Zhifa Kao 【古指法考】
*Yiren yu Yishi 【藝人與藝事】 by Rong Tianqi 容天祈
*Deyin Tang Guqin Luncong 【德音堂古琴論叢】 by Huang Tipei 黃體培
*Tanyi Xulu 【談藝續綠】 by Rong Tianqi 容天祈
*Yongzhai Tanyi Lu 【庸齋談藝綠】 by Rong Tianqi 容天祈
*Fanyi Qinpu zhi Yanjiu 【翻譯琴譜之研究】 by Wang Guangqi 王光祈
*Luetan Huqin Yinyue Yishu 【略談古琴音樂藝術】 by Li Xiangting 李祥霆
*Qinshi Chubian 【琴史初編】 by Xu Jian 許健 ISBN 7-103-02304-2
*Yongle Qinshu Jicheng 【永樂琴書集成】 by 明成祖
*Guqin Xianyin 【古琴絃音】 by 卓芬玲
*Zhilu Xian-ge: Yanzou Jiaocai 【指路絃歌?演奏教材】 by 葛瀚聰
*Guqin Yinyue Yishu 【古琴音樂藝術】 by Ye Mingmei 葉明媚
*Tangdai Guqin Yanzou Meixue ji Yinyue Sixiang Yanjiu 【唐代古琴演奏美學及音樂思想研究】 by Li Xiangting 李祥霆
*Zha Fuxi Qinxue Wencui 【查阜西琴學文萃】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西
*Guqin Huizhen: Yanqin Zhai Song-Yuan-Ming-Qing Guqin Zhan 【古琴薈珍?硯琴齋宋元明清古琴展】
*Zhongguo Guqin Zhencui: Tang-Song-Yuan-Ming 109 zhang Chuanshi Guqin 【中國古琴珍萃?唐宋元明109張傳世古琴】 by 中國藝術研究院音樂研究所
*Guqin Yanzhoufa 【古琴演奏法】 by Gong Yi 龔一 ISBN 7-5320-6621-5
: Gong Yi's teaching manual for the qin. Includes fingering and many pieces in staff notation, some with qin tablature, some with Gong Yi's new guqin staff notation form.
*Qindao yu Meixue: Qindao zhi Sixiang Jichu yu Meixue Jiazhi zhi Yanjiu 【琴道與美學?琴道之思想基礎與美學價值之研究（自先秦兩漢迄魏晉南北朝）】 by 李美燕
*Zhongguo Qinxue 【中國琴學】 卷壹 by Li Mingzhong .
*Guqin Jishi Tulu: 2000 nian Taibei Guqin Yishu-jie Tang-Song-Yuan-Ming Baiqin Zhanshi Lu 【古琴紀事圖綠?2000年臺北古琴藝術節唐宋元明百琴展實綠】
*Zhongguo Qinshi Yanyi 【中国琴史演义】 by Yin Wei ISBN 7-222-03206-1/I?866
: An outline of the legendary and historical stories about the qin.
*Guqin Shiyong Jiaocheng 【古琴實用教程】 by Li Xiangting 李祥霆 ISBN 7-80667-439-X
: A very good teaching manual for the qin. Step by step with every piece explained in detail. Recommended.
*Qinxue Beiyao 【琴學備要】 by Gu Meigeng 顧梅羹
*Tangdai Chen Zhuo Lun Guqin Zhifa: Yao Bingyan Qinxue Zhu Shu zhi Yi 【唐代陳拙論古琴指法?姚丙炎琴學著述之一】 by Yao Bingyan and Huang Shuzhi ISBN 988-98739-1-5
: Newly edited printing of a Tang dynasty document on finger techniques. Highly useful. In a planned series of books printing important unpublished works called ''Qinxue Congkan''【琴學叢刊】 .
*Shiqu Buzhi Suocong Qi - Cheng Gongliang Dapu Ji 【是曲不知所從起-成公亮打譜集】by Cheng Gongliang and Huang Shuzhi ISBN 988-98739-2-3
: Volume II of the Qinxue Congkan.
*Jueshi Qingyin 【絕世清音】 by Wu Zhao 吳釗 ISBN 7-80574-908-6/G?259
: An introduction to the qin, its history and culture, with short biographies of recent and contemporary players; finely illustrated. With a CD contain eight melodies by the author.
*Taiyin Xisheng 【太音希聲】 by Yi Cunguo ISBN 7-308-04261-8/J?093
*Gu Qin 【古琴】 bt Zhang Huaying ISBN 7-213-02955-X
*Guqin Congtan 【古琴丛谈】 by Guo Ping ISBN 7-80713-209-4
*Guqin Meixue Sixiang Yanjiu 【古琴美学思想研究】 by Miao Jianhua ISBN 7-80692-224-5
*Qi-xian Midao: Jingdian Guqin Gushi 【七弦味味道?经典古古琴故事】 by Xian Zhi ISBN 7-80223-171-X
*Zhepai Guqin Yishu 【浙派古琴艺朮】 by Xu Junyue and Xiaoying ISBN 7-5321-3030-4
*Abiding With Antiquity 【與古齋琴譜】 by James Binkley ISBN 978-1430303466
Date of publication not known
*Zhongguo Qinyi Jinian 【中國琴藝紀年】
*Zha Fuxi Qinxue Wencui 【查阜西琴學文翠】
*Cunjian Guqin Zhifa Puzi Jilan 【存見古琴指法譜字輯覽?油印本】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西
*Gu Zhifa Kao 【古指法考?油印本】 by Guan Pinghu 管平湖
*Lidai Qinren Chuan 【歷代琴人傳?油印本】 by Zha Fuxi 查阜西
*Zhongguo Minqin Tulan 【中國名琴圖鑒】
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