As you roam the streets of Hong Kong, you hear and see these most wonderful instruments. They are like nothing you have heard in India, Mesopotamia, or even Greece! But what are these instruments? How are they made? What makes what sound? Moreover all, where did they come from? We will answer all of these questions, along with many more. Now, let’s dive into the sound waves of Hong Kong!
The xun is one of the oldest Chinese musical instruments. The instrument was uncovered along the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. The ancient Chinese used a kind of oval stone with naturally formed holes on it to hunt. When thrown at the animals, the stone produced a whistling sound as the air flowed through the holes, which may have inspired early wind instruments. A xun is contrived of clay with an egg shape along with ten holes on the surface. It can produce an eerie sound with a tone similar to a human voice. The xun is a type of aerophone, or a wind
Historical records hold precise accounts of its music. By the Tang Dynasty, the number of strings had increased from five to thirteen on the guzheng, and the bamboo had been dismissed by wood for the frame. The old silk strings were replaced by nylon strings, which are still being used today for newer versions of the guzheng. The guzheng is a zither which is a musical instrument with a flat wooden sound box with many strings stretched across it, placed horizontally and played with the fingers and a pick. The Zhong bells were found by Chinese archaeologists in the tomb of King Yi of the Zeng State in 1978, the same year the earliest forms of Sheng were discovered . The Zhong Bells of King Yi of the Zeng State are a complete set of percussion instruments that mirrors the flamboyant life of the nobles, as well as the adeptness in bronze casting in ancient China. The Zhong Chimes are built flat with sharp corners like two tiles pieced