Chinese Music during the Three Kingdoms, Western Jin Dynasty, and Northern and Southern Dynasties
The period of the Three Kingdoms, the Western and Eastern Jin dynasties and the Southern and Northern dynasties (220-581) was one of turbulence caused by frequent wars. It also witnessed unprecedented cultural exchanges among all nations but also dramatic progress in Chinese music. The "Silk Road"that had been made smooth since the Han Dynasty facilitated the introduction of music in the western regions in the inner land. In the 18h year of the reign of Emperor Jianyuan in the Pre-Qin Dynasty (382 AD), Li Guang brought the Oiuci (now called Kucha in Xinjiang) music into the inner land and called it"qinhanji"by further integrating it with the music in Shaanxi and Gansu areas.
Buddhism spread quickly in China during this period.Fanbei, regional Chinese Buddhist folk music, grew popular as well. In the mean time, the ancient gin became progressively more mature. A group of scholar-type qin artists like Ji Kang and Ruan Ji emerged as the typical experts of scholar music with such well-known songs as Guanglinsgsan and jiukuang, dominating the way of Chinese music focusing on "harmony"and "beauty."Guanglingsan, previously folk instrumental music in Guangling areas (current Yangzhou, iangsu) in the Han Dynasty, was adapted as a song played with the ancient qin in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and became more popular in the Three Kingdoms Period when Ji Kang, a famous qin player performed the piece. The music describes a moving story about Nie Zheng, the son of a sword-casting craftsman in the Warring States Period, who stabbed the king of the State of Han in revenge for his father's death and then killed himself to avoid getting his mother entangled. With an exciting and passionate melody, Guanglingsan is one of the rare grand pieces of music played on the ancient qin and is of great artistic value.
"Qingshang Music"developed based on "Xianghe Ge" gained great attention from the Cao Wei Regime in the northern areas, hence the establishment of the Qingshang Institute. Qingshang Music, inheriting various styles of music in the Han and Wei dynasties,was the umbrella name of Jiyue evolved based on folk music at that time. Also caled“QingshngQu,"it was mainly ber formed on occasions like banquets and entertainment in the upper social class. The“yue ji”(musicians) were called“qing shang zheng shengxianghewudiaoji"and always received attention from imperial courts of all dynasties. Due to the turmoil of wars in the Western Jin and Eastern Jin dynasties,Qing shang Music was introduced into the southern areas of China and further integrated with WuGeandXiQu (two music forms) in the areas.
In the Northern Wei Dynasty,Qing shang Music returned to the northern areas and became one of the major music types to spread across the country.
