Rare Ancient Chinese Zithers Can Be Heard in Budapest Exhibit

Ancient Chinese musical instruments will arrive at the Museum of Ethnography, where the Zithers’ Day will be held on Saturday in conjunction with the exhibition May the zithers sing merrily!.

On March 22, Zithers’ Day will not only be linked to the Museum of Ethnography’s temporary exhibition titled May the zithers sing merrily!, but will also celebrate the addition of a unique Chinese section to the selection. The exhibition is enriched with rare ancient Chinese zithers called guzheng, dating back thousands of years, presented under the title The Voice of Nature and the Human Soul from China – An Exhibition of Guqins from the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing.

These instruments have been provided at a cost of HUF 3.2 billion (EUR 8 million). However, the exhibition does not only focus on presenting their beautiful sounds and ways of manufacturing, but also focuses on the spirituality, myths, and philosophical ideas associated with these Chinese zithers. The history of the guzheng has close ties to the philosophy of Taoism that teaches about the principle of harmonious coexistence with nature.

Visitors to Zithers’ Day will not only be able to discover the guzheng, but also the “father of Chinese music,” or the “instrument of the sages,” the guquin.

One of the differences between the two instruments is that the guzheng has 21 strings, whereas the guqin has just seven, resulting in the two having vastly different playing techniques.

Those interested in Chinese culture will also be able to admire the beauty of the traditional Chinese women’s costume called qipao, and get a glimpse of the tai chi fan martial arts style. The Silhouettes of Guzheng workshop will introduce visitors to the art of Chinese paper cutting.

Two guides will inform visitors during the tour: Tibor Gáts, a Hungarian zither maker, and József Birinyi, an ethnomusicologist. Klára Dudás will perform as part of the Bach for Everyone Festival, featuring both Hungarian folk music and works by the great German composer, according to the event’s website.

Via MTI; Featured picture: Pixabay