China’s Communist Party has co-opted ancient music
The dulcet tones of the guqin come with a message
At a church in the heart of London the soft tinkle of a guqin, or ancient zither, rings out. The audience at the London International Chinese Music festival (pictured) is told that the sound of this seven-stringed instrument will transport them back in time and bring them joy and peace. Mastery of the guqin, which dates back 3,000 years, was once considered a must for the elite in imperial China. Even Confucius played it. These days the Communist Party is hoping the guqin and other traditional instruments will also bring it joy, by promoting Chinese civilisation and the party’s self-styled embodiment of it.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Instruments of power”
China September 2nd 2023
From the September 2nd 2023 edition
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