Early Chinese Music Resources: Early Chinese Music Resources: Western Wei and Northern Zhou

Early Chinese Music Resources: Western Wei and Northern Zhou

compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 29 July 2022)

Detail of mural depicting a musician playing a paixiao. From the lintel of the western niche of Cave 285 (莫高窟285窟 or 莫高窟第285窟), Mogao Caves (莫高窟), southeast of Dunhuang, Jiuquan, northwestern Gansu province, northwest China. Western Wei Dynasty (535-557).

In an effort to make it more accessible, this document contains resources related to the musical heritage of the Western Wei Dynasty (西魏, 535-557) and the Northern Zhou Dynasty (北周, 557-581), two of the Northern Dynasties (北朝) during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝) period.

The rulers of both the Western Wei and Northern Wei states were members of the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei. The Northern Zhou Dynasty, with its capital at Chang'an (modern Xi'an), was the last of the Northern Dynasties; it ruled parts of northern China before being overthrown by the Sui Dynasty in 577.

(At roughly the same time as the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Northern Qi Dynasty ruled areas of northern China further to the east.)

Links to textual sources are highlighted in green.

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Historical reference works about the music of the Western Wei Dynasty and Northern Zhou Dynasty

● Zhou Shu 《周书》 (The Book of Zhou)

The official history of the Western Wei Dynasty and Northern Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Shu was compiled by the historian Linghu Defen (令狐德棻, 582-666), and completed in 636, during the early Tang Dynasty. It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). Music is discussed in several volumes.

http://www.guoxue123.com/Shibu/0101/00zsf/index.htm

http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00zsf/006.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00zsf/025.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00zsf/027.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00zsf/040.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00zsf/043.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00zsf/047.htm

● Bei Shi 《北史》 (History of the Northern Dynasties)

This historical work, comprising 100 volumes, covers the period from 386 to 618, including the histories of the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Zhou, Northern Qi, and Sui dynasties, and also discusses the music of the "Western Regions" (西域, Xiyu, i.e., Central Asia). The book was started by Li Dashi and completed by his son Li Yanshou following the elder Li's death, sometime between 643 and 659, during the early Tang Dynasty. It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史).

http://www.guoxue123.com/Shibu/0101/00bsf/index.htm

http://www.guoxue123.com/Shibu/0101/00bsf/096.htm

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Western Wei- and Northern Zhou-era poems about music

http://earlychinesemusic.blogspot.com/2018/10/poems-about-music-six-dynasties.html

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