Laiyi ancient music 500 years ago has been played again

Fascinated by ancient music in Jiaodong Peninsula, Gao Liantang from Qingdao has restored a dozen of ancient musical instruments

As the chime sounds, musicians wearing garments ornamented with colorful features rise and dance in a happy mood and sing songs leisurely. The music band is playing phoenix tail-shaped panpipes to present beautiful melodies as if the phoenix is spreading its wings and flying up. Striking, playing and strumming instruments present a picture of delicacy and high tides. The Laiyi ancient music that can date back to 5,000 years ago will be played again with pleasant lingering tune. All credits should go to Gao Liantang, a native from Laixi, Qingdao, who has dedicated himself to unearthing, sorting and rehearsing Laiyi ancient music for these years.

Unearthed music figures recall the flourishing age of rites and music

Qingdao Laixi Museum has two treasures in collection. Among them, the 1.93m high puppet unearthed in Laixi Han Dynasty tombs is very familiar to the public while 13 music figures in different shapes that were unearthed in the same period are just laid aside. But in the opinion of Gao Liantang, they can recall the flourishing age of rites and music in Laiyi ancient state. Gao Liantang told us that Laiyi ancient music, also called Lai Music, was the old music of Laiyi people that used to widely exist in the ancient territory of Laixi (main in Jiaodong Peninsula) from the time immemorial to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Laixi Ancient Music, recorded both in Shi Ji and Bamboo Annals, two famous Chinese classical history book, retains its unique and splendid charm and is regarded as the most glorious ancient cultural heritage of Dongyi people. Currently, music instruments of Dongyi people that are known to be unearthed include pottery drum, pottery flute handle cup, claw-shaped horn and pottery Xun. Because music instruments made of bamboo are easy to rot and difficult to be preserved, it is extremely rare to discover Qin, Se, Guan and Xiao. The Qin and Se played by these music figures unearthed in Laixi are really rare and precious historical relics. 
Gao Liantang told us that since 2012, he started studying Dongyi culture as he sorted out the score of Laiyi ancient music. It is his routine work to go to rural areas to collect folk songs because music is generated in the human life and work.
In addition, he has gone to Chinese Conservatory of Music, Ocean University of China, Heze University, Zibo and Taian to look up data and visit experts. After over 2 years, Gao Liantang has collected a pile of folk music data and handed it to Professor Li Haiwei specializing in ancient music research. Consequently, they compiled the ancient music score that used to be popular in Laiyi region.

Spend 300,000 Yuan restoring ancient musical instruments

Nowadays, in Laiyi ancient music rehearsal hall of Gao Liantang, there are many ancient musical instruments that are very novel for modern people, including chime, stone resonator, Qin, Se, flute, Chi, Xiao, pan-pipe, Xun, Chu, Yu, Sheng, Jian-drum and Bo Fu. A dozen of musical instruments are put in sequence. They are played, stricken or blown. The sounds travelling through the time collide with Chinese blood in our body and give us common sympathetic reaction.
In order to customize these ancient musical instruments, Gao Liantang has travelled more than half China to seek handicrafts men. Moreover, he invited Ma Hongchuan, a reputed ancient music expert in China, to the factory to give guidance in the site. Then workers from the factory finished the assembly by contrasting tone setting device. According to incomplete statistics, Gao Liantang spent nearly 300,000 Yuan customizing these ancient musical instruments.

Inject charming souls to ancient music performance

The biggest dream of Gao Liantang is Laiyi ancient music that used to be widespread can be played once more. Now he has set up a Laiyi ancient music band. These young people who graduated from major conservatories of music in China play Chinese zither or blow pan-pipe. A piano teacher strikes the chime. A dulcimer teacher plays the stone resonator. All of them play these musical instruments decently despite that they are not professional. 
Gao Liantang said: “It is only a basic requirement of Gao Liantang for this Laiyi ancient music band that members can play these ancient musical instruments. To perform the genuine souls of Lai ancient music, every week, we gather together to learn ancient culture, pentatonic mode, twelve-tone equal temperament or visit museums to find out the essence when ancient music figures played.” According to Gao Liantang, the ancient music band should take the responsibility to excavate, trim and carry on Laiyi ancient music and enable more and more modern people to witness the prosperity of Laiyi ancient music in the past and experience the beauty of rites and music in ancient times. Hopefull, the Laiyi ancient music band will perform in 2019 World Leisure Games to be held in Laixi. (Zhou Jie) 
(1. Gao Liantang has studied a lot of ancient books in order to replay the ancient music. 2. Ancient music band members were playing ancient musical instruments.)