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.
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