The origins
of Chinese music can be traced back to distant antiquity. Around 3,000
years ago, when European music was just experiencing its first rustlings
of life, a complete musical theory and sophisticated musical instruments
began appearing in China, owing largely to the orthodox ritual music
advocated by Confucius. By the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), the
imperial court set up a Music Bureau, which was in charge of collecting
and editing ancient tunes and folk songs. Because of commercial contacts
with Central Asia, foreign music entered China in the form, for example,
of the p'i-p'a , or lute, and the hu-ch'in , a vertically-held violin.
Influenced by this foreign-originating music, composers of the time
modified and improved Chinese music. By the time of Emperor Hsuan Tsung
(r. 713-755 A.D.) of the T'ang Dynasty, the court organized the Pear
Garden Academy song and dance troupe, cultivating a large number of
musicians, and thus laying a firm foundation for Chinese music.
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