In the dazzling starry sky of ancient Chinese music culture, the Zeng Houyi Bianzhong is undoubtedly the most dazzling pearl. As the most numerous, best preserved, most complete in terms of musical system, and most magnificent in scale discovered in China so far, it is not only the pinnacle of ancient Chinese bronze casting technology, but also a concrete manifestation of the glorious achievements of ritual and music civilization in the pre Qin period.
Tracing back to 1978, an archaeological excavation at Leigudun in Suixian County, Hubei Province (now Suizhou City) uncovered the mysterious veil of Zeng Houyi’s chime bells. This significant discovery instantly shocked the academic community, especially the archaeological and music history communities, as it not only showcased the exquisite skills of ancient craftsmen, but also unveiled the mysterious veil of pre Qin music culture for us.
The Zeng Houyi Bianzhong, consisting of a total of 65 pieces, is hung in a staggered manner on a three story, eight group copper wood structure clock stand. The entire clock stand is magnificent, measuring 748 centimeters in length and 265 centimeters in height. The bells come in various sizes, with the largest reaching 152.3 centimeters and weighing 203.6 kilograms. The total weight of the entire set of bells is astonishing, reaching 2567 kilograms. These bells, through the clever combination of mixed casting and separate casting, supplemented by advanced techniques such as brazing, casting inlay, and gold inlay, as well as various decorative techniques such as round carving, relief carving, intaglio carving, and painting, fully demonstrate the extraordinary wisdom and outstanding artistic creativity of ancient craftsmen.
The musical performance of Zeng Houyi’s chimes is also breathtaking. Each chime can produce double notes in the third degree scale, and the entire set of chimes includes all twelve semitones, with the ability to rotate and modulate. Its sound sequence matches the modern popular C major, making it easy to play music in pentatonic, sextonic, and even heptatonic scales. The range of chimes is incredibly wide, almost comparable to modern pianos, spanning as many as five octaves, only one octave less than modern pianos. This discovery not only rewrote the history of world music, but also proved the high prosperity and development of ancient Chinese music culture.
The Zeng Houyi Bianzhong is not only a musical instrument, but also an important carrier of ancient Chinese history and culture. The inscriptions on the bells record in detail the historical event of King Xiong Zhang of Chu casting Zong Yi for Marquis Yi of Zeng, revealing the political and cultural exchanges between the feudal states at that time. At the same time, the excavation of the chime bells also provides us with a complete restoration of the ancient aristocratic ritual and music system, which is of immeasurable value for studying social life, ritual systems, and other aspects of the pre Qin period.
Since its excavation, the bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng have been well protected and displayed. At present, this precious set of bells is preserved in the Hubei Provincial Museum and has become a treasure of the museum. The museum uses advanced technology to protect and study the chime bells, and regularly holds exhibitions and concerts, providing the public with the opportunity to experience the extraordinary charm of this ancient musical treasure up close. Zeng Houyi’s chime is not only an outstanding representative of ancient Chinese music culture, but also a vivid witness to the long history and splendid culture of Chinese civilization.
