The Silk Road and the Transmission of Music

The Silk Road, which was formed during the two Han dynasties, was not only a road for trade and commerce between the East and the West, but also a channel for political, cultural and artistic exchanges between China and the countries of Asia and Europe. Western music, dance, painting, sculpture, architecture and other arts, astronomy, calendars, medicine and other science and technology, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Nestorianism, Islam and other religions, through this road into China; at the same time, China's textiles, porcelain, painting, architecture, papermaking, medical science, Confucianism, Taoism, and so on, through the road to the West, and each other have a great impact. In these cultural, artistic and technological imports, music and art is the first mutual contact, across the language barrier, the affinity of the strongest advance team and "goodwill ambassadors".

In the second year of Jianyuan (139 years ago), Zhang Qian traveled to Kangju, Dayue, Daxia, and Anshi countries, and brought back music from the Western regions. The Book of Jin, under "Music", contains the following: "Hengbuki, Hu music. Zhang Bowang (Zhang Qian) into the Western Regions, passed on its method in Xijing, only to get the "Mohe", "Dule" two songs." Zhang Qian's second mission to the Western Regions established friendship with King Kunmo of the Wusun. In the sixth year of Yuanfeng (105 BC), the Wusun requested to intermarry with the Han Dynasty, so Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent his royal family, King Liu Jian of Jiangdu, to marry Princess Xiujun to King Kunmo of the Wusun. According to the historical legend, "Princess Hosojun brought her pipa with her to marry", but "Shuo Ming" (Volume 22) says: "The loquat (pipa) was originally from Hu, and was played on a horse." This shows that the pipa was introduced no later than after Emperor Wu. By the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Western music, musical instruments with the Silk Road has entered, blossomed everywhere. In particular, "Emperor Lingdi was fond of hu clothes, hu tents, hu beds, hu sitting, hu rice, hu konghou, hu flute, hu dance, and the nobles in Kyoto all competed for it." (Hou Han Shu - five lines of Zhi I) can be seen "Hu music" has become a trend. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, music from the Western Regions flowed into China, with the "Zhaowu Nine Surnames" being the most popular. Kang Guo's pipa, An Guo's music and dance, Mi Guo's "Liangzhou", etc., very famous. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, "there were hundreds of orchestral compositions, most of which were written in Xiliang music, and most of which were written in Guzi music. (The Old Book of Tang - Music Zhi II) In short, in the Silk Road cultural and artistic exchanges, music plays the role of "horn", to promote the Chinese and Western cultures played an important role. The Silk Road is still an important cultural and artistic corridor, in the art and life of the various ethnic groups along the route, everywhere you can find the Silk Road so "notes".