A year ago on a business trip to China, I had an experience that few Westerners have had -- and a relatively small number of Easterners as well. The Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan houses an exhibit containing the tomb of Marquis Yi, the King of the Zeng state (buried around 2400 years ago) along with an extensive set of ancient musical instruments that were buried with the emperor. I was shocked to learn that the musicians, believed to be between 15-23 years old, were also buried in their own coffins in the outer chambers of the tomb.
Must have been a bummer to be a musician back then!
Because the instruments were preserved in such excellent condition, the museum has crafted replicas of the bells, drums, flutes, and stringed instruments resembling pianos and guitars. Music and dancing from the era is performed daily in an auditorium nearby. As far as I can tell, these musicians have a better shot at longevity than their ancestors. For an example, click on the link below.
The instruments were found in formation in the tomb. The largest bronze instrument ever found, the Chime Bells, includes 64 bells in varying sizes and tones. Inscriptions on the bells provide a great deal of information about the instruments and the music played in that era. The arrangement of the bells, as found in the tomb, can be seen at:
The tomb was discovered in 1977 by accident as the Chinese army attempted to flatten a hill for the construction of a factory. The tomb contained a chamber for military artifacts, a chamber with the Marquis' elaborate coffin within a coffin with eight smaller coffins nearby, a chamber with thirteen additional coffins, and a final chamber containing the full ensemble of musical instruments. Excluding the Marquis' coffin and one containing a dog, all of the remaining coffins held young women.
The tomb was an important archeological discovery that depicted the sophistication to which the Chinese had developed music more than 2500 years ago. I had only a short time to visit the museum and this exhibit; I could have spent days there. I haven't even come close to describing the incredible exhibit displayed by the Hubei Provincial Museum, the amazing performance of ancient music on ancient forms of instruments, and the process by which all of this was researched. I wondered why I had never heard of this, one of the most significant archeological discoveries of my lifetime? Chinese control of information, western indifference to oriental history, my own lack of attention, all of the above?
On the same trip, I had a Peking Duck in an authentic tea house, followed by an evening in a Chinese Opera -- more like a variety show with magicians, comedians, a couple of men who made amazing sounds vocally, and a long operatic piece about a maiden (sung by a man) who went down to the sea for a sea cucumber and never came back. The music, though unfamiliar, enterained my ears just as the incredible food entertained my palette.
Later this year, I'll have an opportunity to return to China. In my spare time, I'll be looking for music. Foreign to my western ears, perhaps, but enriching and entertaining as well. And just like that amazing Chinese food I had on the last trip -- unlike anything I'd ever had on this side of the Pacific -- I'm hoping that no matter how much I consume, I'll still be hungry for more.
Here's a little Bob Dylan, ringing them bells.
Credits: wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Marquis_Yi_of_Zeng
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