From the trills of opera to the shrieking guitars of rock stars, the Chinese music industry has it all. But the Chinese music scene hasn’t always been so diverse. The New Culture Movement of the 1910s and 1920s planted the country’s first seeds of interest in Western music. Today, lyrics and performances that were once labeled rebellious are generally accepted. If simply reading about this evolution of Oriental music culture isn’t enough for you, don’t hesitate to hop on a flight to China and book a China hotel to experience it for yourself!
Traditional
Music, or yīnyuè in Chinese, was long considered one of the four fundamental societal functions. Every feudal state, dynasty, and republic throughout Chinese history established an official music organization to pay homage to this idea. In fact, China is home to the earliest musical scale in recorded history! Artists have historically organized their music around the distinctive minor third interval. The aesthetics of traditional Chinese music have proven astoundingly resistant to the ravages of time.
The Age of Confucius saw the greatest realization of these musical aesthetics. As major principalities competed to attract artists, scholars, diplomats, engineers, and musicians to their courts, human capital was increasingly invested in creative endeavors. Advancements in the science of acoustics furthered the art of music-making.
Below are examples of traditional Chinese instruments:
Dizi, bamboo flute
Guqin, seven-stringed zither, “Instrument of the Sages”
Erhu, spike fiddle
Paigu, tuned wooden drums
Chinese opera, especially the Beijing opera, has been popular throughout the centuries. Opera music is performed with high-pitched vocals and accompanied by various traditional instruments.
Modern
The transition from traditional to modern music was a rocky ordeal spanning multiple decades. The founding of the New China in 1912 marked initial, tenuous contact with Western music. At various high points during the revolutionary age, musical composition and performance were severely restricted or manipulated by the government to promote pro-Communist ideology.
The 1970s saw the rise of cantopop in Hong Kong and mandopop in Taiwan, but mainland China denounced this Western influenced music as “rebellious.” Even into the 1990s, Anita Mui was banned from the mainland concert stage for performing a dance choreography based on the style of Madonna. Only recently have Chinese youth become consumers in the popular music market. China is still not considered a major production or consumption hub for popular music.
Since the end of the 20th century, pop music in mainland China has been gaining popularity. Many mainland Chinese artists begin with commercial success in Hong Kong or Taiwan and attempt to re-introduce themselves into mainland China.
Below are examples of modern day Chinese artists:
Cui Jian, “The Father of Chinese Rock” 
Faye Wong, “Best Selling Cantopop Female” (Guinness Book of World Records)
S.H.E., Taiwanese girl group
Fahrenheit, Taiwanese boy band
Today, popular Chinese musical genres include not only pop music, but also hip hop and rap, rock and heavy metal, and various alternative genres.
What are you waiting for? Travel to Beijing and hear the famous Beijing Opera for yourself! If nothing else, just slip on a pair of headphones and rock out to some modern day C-pop — your ears will thank you.
Related posts:
