Shi Bu Yue (十部乐): Gaoli Ji (高丽伎)
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 28 August 2022)
In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Gaoli Ji (高丽伎, literally "Goryeo performers"), a troupe performing music and dance of Goguryeo origin in the courts of the Sui and Tang dynasties of China, as documented in the Chinese historical record.
Links to textual sources are highlighted in green.
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Historical background
In the early Kaihuang era (开皇初, 581-600) of Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝, r. 581-604), the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), there was instituted a set of seven ensembles in the Sui palace at Daxing (大兴, the Sui name for Chang'an; modern-day Xi'an), called the Qi Bu Yue (七部乐, literally "Seven Musical Divisions"). These divisions, which performed music and accompanying dance from various Asian nations, were as follows:
1. Guo Ji (国伎)
2. Qingshang Ji (清商伎)
3. Gaoli Ji (高丽伎, music/dance of "Goryeo," actually originating from 5th-century court music of the Northern Yan kingdom, in what is today western Liaoning province; it may have its ultimate origins in the mid-4th-century court music of the state of Goguryeo, with its capital at Gungnae [modern-day Ji'an, Jilin province])
4. Tianzhu Ji (天竺伎, music/dance of India)
5. Anguo Ji (安国伎, music/dance of Bukhara)
6. Qiuci Ji (龟兹伎, music/dance of Kucha)
7. Wenkang Ji, later known as Libi (文康伎（即《礼毕》）, masked dance)
Early in the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui (隋炀帝), c. 605-608, two more divisions were added, making nine divisions in total (Jiu Bu Yue, 九部乐):
8. Kangguo Ji (康国伎, music/dance of Kangju [康居, a state of Indo-European people believed to have been virtually identical to the Sogdians, in modern-day Uzbekistan])
9. Shule Ji (疏勒伎, music/dance of the Shule kingdom with its capital at Kashgar)
Additionally, the following change was made:
The first division was changed to Qingshang (清商), and Guo Ji (国伎) was changed to Xiliang Ji (西凉伎, music/dance of Xiliang [also called Liangzhou, 涼州] in central Gansu province]).
The Tang Dynasty inherited the Jiu Bu Yue of Sui, adding a tenth division, Gaochang Ji (高昌伎, music/dance of Kara-Khoja), in 642 or 643, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, making ten divisions in total (Shi Bu Yue, 十部乐).
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According to musicologist Lin Chiang-san (林江山), the origin of the Gaoli Ji was as follows:
關於高麗樂的由來：
Concerning the origin of Gaoli yue (高丽乐, Goryeo music):
西元436年，北魏太武帝（西元424∼西元452）滅北燕（西元407∼西元436），得其伎，其後「高麗樂」在北魏宮廷中逐漸發展，後為隋唐宮廷音樂所繼承。隋初編入「七部樂」當中。唐武則天（西元684∼西元704）時，尚有二十五曲。至唐玄宗（西元712∼西元755）時，僅存一曲。其後「坐部伎」與「立部伎」成立，「高麗樂」未被編入該二部伎內，樂亡。
In 436 AD, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei [Dynasty] (424-452 AD) defeated [the kingdom of] Northern Yan (407-436 AD) and acquired its performers. Later, "Goryeo music" gradually developed in the court of the Northern Wei [Dynasty], and was subsequently inherited by the court music of the Sui and Tang [Dynasties]. In the early Sui [Dynasty], it was incorporated into the Qi Bu Yue (Seven Musical Divisions). In the time of the Tang [empress] Wu Zetian (684-704 AD), there still remained 25 pieces. By the time of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang [Dynasty] (712-755), just one piece remained. Later, the Zuo Bu Ji (Sitting Division Performers) and Li Bu Ji (Standing Division Performers) were established, and the "Goryeo music" was not incorporated into these two divisions of performers, [and thus] the music was lost.
高麗樂的由來，必須先研究北燕這個政權。北燕是十六國時期由漢人馮跋建立的政權。407年，馮跋滅後燕，擁立高雲為天王，建都龍城，仍舊沿用後燕國號。409年，高雲被殺，馮跋平定政變後即天王位於昌黎。據有今遼寧省西南部和河北省東北部。436年被北魏所滅。 其都城為龍城，又名黃龍，故址在今遼寧省朝陽市一帶。因此高麗樂是指中國東北地方為主的高勾麗音樂，即來自中國東北遼寧一帶龍城的高勾麗音樂。與後日我們所認知的韓國高勾麗或高麗音樂完全無關。
[Regarding] the origin of the Goryeo music, one must first study the regime known as the Northern Yan. Northern Yan was a regime established by a [Xianbei-ized] Han Chinese individual named Feng Ba during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. In 407, Feng Ba conquered [the Murong-Xianbei state of] Later Yan, and Gao Yun was enthroned as Heavenly Prince; in the newly established capital of Longcheng the state name of Later Yan continued to be used. In 409, Gao Yun was killed, and Feng Ba, after quelling the coup, assumed office [as the new] Heavenly Prince [of the new Northern Yan state] in Changli (corresponding to today's southwestern Liaoning province and northeastern Hebei province. In 436, [the Northern Yan Dynasty] was conquered by the Northern Wei [Dynasty]. [Northern Yan's] capital was Longcheng, also known as Huanglong, the former site of what is today the area around the city of Chaoyang, Liaoning province. Therefore, Goryeo music refers mainly to Goguryeo music from China's northeastern region, which comes from the Goguryeo music of Longcheng in Northeast China's Liaoning region. It is completely unrelated to what later came to be recognized as Korea's Goguryeo or Goryeo music.
[Regarding] the origin of the Goryeo music, one must first study the regime known as the Northern Yan. Northern Yan was a regime established by a [Xianbei-ized] Han Chinese individual named Feng Ba during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. In 407, Feng Ba conquered [the Murong-Xianbei state of] Later Yan, and Gao Yun was enthroned as Heavenly Prince; in the newly established capital of Longcheng the state name of Later Yan continued to be used. In 409, Gao Yun was killed, and Feng Ba, after quelling the coup, assumed office [as the new] Heavenly Prince [of the new Northern Yan state] in Changli (corresponding to today's southwestern Liaoning province and northeastern Hebei province. In 436, [the Northern Yan Dynasty] was conquered by the Northern Wei [Dynasty]. [Northern Yan's] capital was Longcheng, also known as Huanglong, the former site of what is today the area around the city of Chaoyang, Liaoning province. Therefore, Goryeo music refers mainly to Goguryeo music from China's northeastern region, which comes from the Goguryeo music of Longcheng in Northeast China's Liaoning region. It is completely unrelated to what later came to be recognized as Korea's Goguryeo or Goryeo music.
要注意高勾麗發展的各個時期的國土變化。它原本是中國東北地方的政權，後來往朝鮮半島發展，因此與韓國有關。在燕時期，高勾麗不能視為韓國的政權。但是百濟是韓國的政權，百濟樂則是到底的韓國音樂。
Attention should be paid to Goguryeo's development, in terms of change of territory, [across] each [successive] period. It was originally a regime [based in] China's northeastern region, later expanding to the Korean peninsula, so it has a relationship to Korea. In the Yan period, Goguryeo cannot be regarded as a Korean regime. However, Baekje was a Korean regime, [so] Baekje music [Chinese: Baiji yue, 百济乐], thus, is truly Korean music.
用高勾麗去看高勾麗就好，不要去聯想高麗。它是那個時期中國東北地方最具影響的一個政權和文化。燕時期的國土，很大部分和高勾麗有關，文化當然也有關。
Using "Goguryeo" [Chinese: Gaogouli, 高句丽] to refer to Goguryeo is fine; [just] don't associate it with Korea [Chinese: Gaoli, 高丽]. In China's northeastern region at that period, [Goguryeo] was one of the most influential regimes and cultures. Of the Yan period's territory, a very large portion was related to Goguryeo, [and its] culture was, of course, also related.
高勾麗又寫成句麗、句驪，5世紀後期寫成高麗。
Goguryeo [Chinese: Gaogouli, 高勾丽] was also written 句丽 [Chinese: Gouli], or 句骊 [Chinese: Gouli], [and by the] late 5th century was finally written 高丽 [Chinese: Gaoli].
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Gao Yun (高雲, d. 409), the last emperor of the Later Yan Dynasty, was ethnically Korean, his family having originated in the proto-Korean state of Goguryeo, whose territory by the 4th century included the northern three-fourths of the Korean Peninsula, including what is now Seoul, almost all of Manchuria, and parts of Mongolia and the Russian Far East, and whose capital was located until 427 in Gungnae (modern-day Ji'an, southwestern Jilin province, northeast China). Gao Yun was a descendant of the royal house of Goguryeo, his ancestors having been captured following the invasion by the Xianbei-ruled state of Former Yan (337-370), led by its ruler Murong Huang (r. 337-348), in the winter of 342, during which Goguryeo's mountain fortress of Hwando, which guarded its capital of Gungnae, was attacked, destroyed, and temporarily occupied.
Following this defeat, the forces of Former Yan captured some 50,000 men and women of Goguryeo, bringing them back to their territory to use for slave labor. Although King Gogukwon (331-371) was able to flee, many members of the Goguryeo royal family (including the queen and queen mother) were taken captive and moved to Qingshan (青山, modern-day Jinzhou, Liaoning); their descendants became subjects of the states of Former Yan and Later Yan. Because the surname of Goguryeo's royal family, in Chinese, was Gao (高, meaning "high," "great," "strong," or "elder"), most of its members, now living in China, took Gao as their family name. Gao Yun was adopted into the imperial household of Later Yan after helping its emperor Murong Bao (慕容宝, also known as Emperor Huimin, 惠愍皇帝; r. 396-398) put down a rebellion by Murong Bao's son Murong Hui (慕容会, 373-397). He became emperor after the people rebelled against the despotic rule of his adoptive uncle Murong Xi (慕容熙, also known as Emperor Zhaowen, 昭文皇帝; r. 401-407), and, during his reign, he used the title "Heavenly Prince" (Tian Wang, 天王). In 409 Gao Yun was assassinated, and, after a disturbance, was replaced by his (Xianbei-ized) ethnic Han Chinese general Feng Ba (冯跋, also known as Emperor Wencheng, 文成皇帝; r. 409-430).
Interestingly, Feng Hong (冯弘, also known as Emperor Zhaocheng, 昭成皇帝; r. 430-436), the last emperor of Northern Yan, who had seized the throne from his brother Feng Ba when Feng Ba was ill in 430, fled to Goguryeo when the Northern Yan Dynasty fell to the Northern Wei Dynasty in 436; he was executed for insubordination by King Jangsu of Goguryeo in 438.
Based on the above information, it seems possible to propose the following ten-step process of transmission for this musical tradition:
1) The court music of Goguryeo, from its capital at Gungnae (modern-day Ji'an, Jilin)
2) May have been captured, along with many members of the Goguryeo royal family, by the Xianbei of Former Yan in their invasion of 342, following which the Goguryeo royals were relocated to Qingshan (青山, modern-day Jinzhou, in central-western Liaoning)
3) The same court music of Goguryeo origin, as inherited by Former Yan, may have been captured yet again by Former Qin upon their invasion in 370
4) The same court music of Goguryeo origin, as inherited by Former Qin, may have been inherited by the Murong-Xianbei-ruled Later Yan upon their invasion in 386
5) The same court music of Goguryeo origin was inherited by Northern Yan, in 407, when Gao Yun was installed as the ruler of the succeeding Later Yan
6) The same court music of Goguryeo origin was inherited from Northern Yan by the Northern Wei (ruled by the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei), upon their invasion in 436
7) The same court music of Goguryeo origin was inherited from Northern Wei by Western Wei, following its disintegration in 534-535
8) The same court music of Goguryeo origin was inherited from Western Wei by Northern Zhou, following its fall in 557
9) The same court music of Goguryeo origin was inherited from Northern Zhou by the Sui Dynasty upon their invasion in 581
10) The same court music of Goguryeo origin was inherited from the Sui Dynasty by the Tang Dynasty, upon their invasion of 618
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Chinese historical reference works discussing the Gaoli Ji
● Wenxian Tongkao 《文献通考》 (Comprehensive Examination of Literature), a 348-volume work compiled by the historian and encyclopedist Ma Duanlin (马端临, 1245-1322) in 1317, during the Yuan Dynasty, contains description of the music of the Tang Dynasty. The Gaoli Ji is discussed in Volume 146:
卷一百四十六
Volume 146
乐考十九
俗部乐（女乐）
「《高丽伎》，有弹筝、搊筝、凤首箜篌、卧箜篌、竖箜篌、琵琶，以蛇皮为槽，厚寸馀，有鳞甲，楸木为面，象牙为捍拨，画国王形。又有五弦、义觜笛、笙、葫芦笙、箫、小觱篥、桃皮觱篥腰鼓齐鼓、龟头鼓、铁板具、大觱篥。胡旋舞，舞者立球上，旋转如风。」
The instruments used were of 18 types, also used to accompany dances including the "Sogdian whirl," in which the dancer stood on a ball, spinning like the wind:
1) Tan zheng (plectrum-plucked bridge zither)
2) Chou zheng (finger-plucked bridge zither)
3) Feng shou konghou (phoenix-headed arched harp)
4) Wo konghou (fretted zither, plucked with a slender bamboo stick)
5) Shu konghou (angular harp)
6) Pipa (pear-shaped lute with 4 strings)
7) Wu xian pipa (pear-shaped lute with 5 strings)
8) Yizi di (transverse bamboo flute with special mouthpiece)
9) Sheng (mouth organ)
10) Hulu sheng (gourd mouth organ)
11) Xiao (notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute)
12) Xiao bili (small double reed pipe)
13) Tao pi bili (peach bark double reed pipe)
14) Yaogu (hourglass drum)
15) Qigu (barrel drum)
16) Gui tou gu (tortoise-head drum)
17) Tie ban ju (iron plate, probably a type of gong)
18) Da bili (large double reed pipe)
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Thanks to Lin Chiang-san for assistance with this page.
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