Musical instrument: fangxiang
(方響)
compiled by David Badagnani (rev. 22 December 2024)
Painted carved brick depicting a standing female court musician playing a fangxiang.
From the tomb of Feng Hui (冯晖, 894-952), Erqiao village (二桥村), Didian township (底店乡),
Bin County (彬县), Xianyang (咸阳市), Shaanxi province (陕西省), northwest China, near Xi'an.
Later Zhou Dynasty (951-960), Five Dynasties period (10th century). Height: 29.13 in. (74 cm)
In an effort to make this information more accessible, this document contains resources related to the Chinese musical instrument called fāngxiǎng (方響), a glockenspiel-like metallophone that usually had 16 chromatically tuned iron keys (or, more rarely, keys made from bronze or jade), which was used in China since the Southern Dynasties period, having first appeared during the Liang Dynasty (502-557). Its use continued through the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, and Song periods, with its use declining during the subsequent Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
In South Korea, the same instrument is known as banghyang (방향 / 方響), cheolhyang (철향 / 鐵響), or cheolbanghyang (철방향 / 鐵方響). The earliest verified use of this instrument in Korea was in a performance of Dang-ak (당악 / 唐樂) for the court of Munjong of Goryeo (r. 1046-1083). Although a relatively uncommon instrument in South Korea, it continues to be used for Jongmyo Jeryeak (종묘제례악 / 宗廟祭禮樂) court ritual music and related genres.
Detail of historic illustration of a Korean banghyang, with Chinese characters indicating the pitch of
each of the instrument's 16 keys from the player's perspective (and added indications, labeled in
red, of the Western pitch equivalents). From an edition of the 15th-century Korean musical treatise
Akhak Gwebeom 『악학궤범（樂學軌範）』.
In Japan, the fangxiang is called hōkyō (方響 / ほうきょう). The Japanese scholar and nobleman Kibi no Makibi (吉備 真備 / きび の まきび, 695-775) is said to have brought a fangxiang back from Tang Dynasty China and presented it to the Japanese emperor in the early Nara period (710-794). Nine iron keys from a fangxiang that is believed to have been sent by the Tang emperor Xuanzong (唐玄宗, r. 713-756) to his Japanese counterpart, Emperor Shōmu (Japanese: Shōmu-tennō, 聖武天皇, r. 724-749), have been preserved in the collection of the Shōsōin Repository (正倉院), Nara, Japan.
Nine iron keys from the hōkyō in the collection of the Shōsōin Repository (正倉院), Nara, Japan.
This instrument (of which these keys are the only remnant) is believed to have been sent from the Tang
emperor Xuanzong (唐玄宗, r. 713-756) to his Japanese counterpart, Emperor Shōmu (Japanese:
Shōmu-tennō, 聖武天皇, r. 724-749).
In the 20th and 21st centuries, fangxiang have been reconstructed in China, Japan, and the United States, for use in both traditional and contemporary music.
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/079.htm
The fangxiang (方响) was a glockenspiel-like instrument consisting of 16 tuned iron keys in a vertical frame, which was used in yanyue (court banquet music) in the Tang and Song dynasties. Fang Gan was a scholar and poet from Zhejiang province. Xin'an (新安) is an old name for Chun'an County, Hangzhou, west-central Zhejiang province, where Fang was born. Gexi (葛溪) is a place in Yiyang County, Shangrao, northeastern Jiangxi province, which was known for its high-quality iron, which was used primarily for weapons such as swords and daggers. The Pear Garden (Chinese: Liyuan, 梨园) was an academy for court entertainment music, dance, and theater, which was established in the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an by Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756). Pengze is a place in Jiujiang, north-central Jiangxi province.
Additional Web resources
● Fangxiang/banghyang/hōkyō YouTube playlist (maintained by David Badagnani)
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Chinese historical reference works discussing the fangxiang
● Tongdian《通典》(Comprehensive Institutions)
Written by Tang scholar and historian Du You (杜佑, 735-812) between 766 and 801, Tongdian discusses the fangxiang in volume 144.
Written by Tang scholar and historian Du You (杜佑, 735-812) between 766 and 801, Tongdian discusses the fangxiang in volume 144.
● Yuefu Zalu《乐府杂录》(Miscellaneous Notes Regarding the Music Bureau)
A collection of small essays (biji, 笔记) by the scholar Duan Anjie (段安节, fl. 880-898), published around 890 near the end of the Tang Dynasty. This work survives in no fewer than 23 different editions. An extensively annotated German translation was published by Martin Gimm (b. 1930) in 1966. The fangxiang is discussed in several sections.
A collection of small essays (biji, 笔记) by the scholar Duan Anjie (段安节, fl. 880-898), published around 890 near the end of the Tang Dynasty. This work survives in no fewer than 23 different editions. An extensively annotated German translation was published by Martin Gimm (b. 1930) in 1966. The fangxiang is discussed in several sections.
● Jiu Tang Shu《旧唐书》(The Old Book of Tang), also known simply as Tang Shu《唐书》(The Book of Tang)
This historical work in 200 volumes was completed in 945, actually during the Later Jin (后晋) Dynasty, one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十国) period following the fall of the Tang Dynasty. It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). The fangxiang is discussed in volume 29.
● Xin Tang Shu《新唐书》(The New Book of Tang; generally translated as "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History")
This historical work covering the Tang Dynasty, comprising ten volumes and 225 chapters, was compiled by compiled by a team of scholars led by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi, a process that took 17 years. It was completed in 1060, during the Northern Song Dynasty. It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). The fangxiang is discussed in several volumes.
● 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. The fangxiang is discussed in several volumes.
● Da Zhou Zheng Yue《大周正乐》(Record of Orthodox Music of the Great Zhou)
The most extensive musical treatise written during the Five Dynasties period, and also the earliest Chinese general history of music, Da Zhou Zheng Yue was compiled beginning in 958 (during the Later Zhou Dynasty, whose capital was Kaifeng), and completed in 959. Although the full text of this treatise has been lost for centuries, it is known to have exerted a strong influence on the musicological work of subsequent dynasties, and 62 essays from it can be found in various documents dating to the Song Dynasty. It discusses the fangxiang.
● Liao Shi《辽史》(The History of Liao)
The official history of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), Liao Shi was compiled during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) under the direction of the historian Toqto'a (Tuotuo), and completed in 1344. It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). The fangxiang is discussed in volume 54.
● Taiping Guangji《太平广记》(Extensive Records of the Taiping Era)
Taiping Guangji is a collection of stories compiled in the early Northern Song Dynasty under imperial direction by the scholar and bureaucrat Li Fang (李昉, 925-996). The work was completed in 978 and printing blocks were cut, but it was prevented from publication on the grounds that it contained only xiaoshuo (fiction or "insignificant tellings") and thus "was of no use to young students." It survived in manuscript form until it was eventually published in the Ming Dynasty. The collection, which is considered one of the Four Great Books of Song, is divided into 500 volumes and consists of about 3 million Chinese characters. It includes about 7,000 stories selected from over 300 books and novels from the Han Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty, many of which have been lost. Some stories are historical or naturalistic anecdotes, and each is replete with historical elements, and were not regarded by their authors as fiction, but the topics are mostly supernatural, about Buddhist and Taoist priests, immortals, ghosts, and various deities. They include a number of Tang Dynasty stories, especially chuanqi (tales of wonder), that are famous works of literature in their own right, and also inspired later works. The fangxiang is discussed in three volumes.
Taiping Guangji is a collection of stories compiled in the early Northern Song Dynasty under imperial direction by the scholar and bureaucrat Li Fang (李昉, 925-996). The work was completed in 978 and printing blocks were cut, but it was prevented from publication on the grounds that it contained only xiaoshuo (fiction or "insignificant tellings") and thus "was of no use to young students." It survived in manuscript form until it was eventually published in the Ming Dynasty. The collection, which is considered one of the Four Great Books of Song, is divided into 500 volumes and consists of about 3 million Chinese characters. It includes about 7,000 stories selected from over 300 books and novels from the Han Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty, many of which have been lost. Some stories are historical or naturalistic anecdotes, and each is replete with historical elements, and were not regarded by their authors as fiction, but the topics are mostly supernatural, about Buddhist and Taoist priests, immortals, ghosts, and various deities. They include a number of Tang Dynasty stories, especially chuanqi (tales of wonder), that are famous works of literature in their own right, and also inspired later works. The fangxiang is discussed in three volumes.
http://www.guoxue123.com/zhibu/0401/01tpgj/351.htm
● Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian Shibu《续资治通鉴长编拾补》(Supplement to the Long Draft of the Continuation of Zizhi Tongjian [Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance]: Lost Fragments)
● Taiping Yulan《太平御览》, an encyclopedia of general knowledge compiled by a committee of officials coordinated by Li Fang from 977 to 983
Considered one of the Four Great Books of Song, this huge leishu encyclopedia was commissioned by the imperial court of the Song dynasty during the first era of the reign of Emperor Taizong. It is divided into 1,000 volumes and 55 sections, which consist of about 4.7 million Chinese characters. Music is covered in a section entitled "Music Division" (Yuebu, 乐部), beginning with Yuebu 1 (乐部一) in chapter 563 and ending with Yuebu 22 (乐部二十二) in chapter 584. The fangxiang is mentioned in chapter 584.
● Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian Shibu《续资治通鉴长编拾补》(Supplement to the Long Draft of the Continuation of Zizhi Tongjian [Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance]: Lost Fragments)
The fangxiang is mentioned in two chapters.
● Song Shi 《宋史》 (The History of Song)
The official history of the Song Dynasty (both Northern and Southern), comprising 496 chapters, Song Shi was completed in 1346 (actually during the late Yuan Dynasty). It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). The fangxiang is discussed in three volumes.
● Meng Liang Lu《梦粱录》(A Dream of Sorghum)
This 20-volume book by Wu Zimu (吴自牧, dates of birth and death unknown) describes the city of Lin'an (modern-day Hangzhou) during the Southern Song Dynasty. The fangxiang is discussed in three volumes.
● Ducheng Jisheng《都城纪胜》(Record of the Splendors of the Capital City)
A description of the Southern Song Dynasty capital of Lin'an (Hangzhou), published in 1235 by Nai Deweng (耐得翁), a scholar who had once traveled to the city and wrote down what he observed. There are several references to the fangxiang.
● Wulin Jiushi《武林旧事》(Ancient Matters from Wulin Garden)
This 10-volume book by Zhou Mi (周密, 1232-1298), which was completed in the year 1290, describes the city of Lin'an (modern-day Hangzhou) during the Southern Song Dynasty. It contains descriptions of popular entertainments including theater and music, and there are several references to the fangxiang.
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0301/00wljs/001.htm● Yuan Shi《元史》(The History of Yuan)
The official history of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Yuan Shi was completed in 1370 (actually during the early Ming Dynasty). It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). The fangxiang is discussed in four volumes.
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/071.htmhttp://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/079.htm
http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00ysf/080.htm
● Ming Shi《明史》(The History of Ming)
The official history of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Ming Shi was completed in 1739 (actually during the Qing Dynasty). It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史). The fangxiang is discussed in two volumes.http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00msf/063.htm
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Chinese poems mentioning the fangxiang
《偶饮》
A Casual Drink (Ou Yin)
作者：白居易（唐）
by Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty, 772-846)
by Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty, 772-846)
三盏醺醺四体融，妓亭檐下夕阳中。
[After] three cups of wine, pleasantly tipsy, all four of my limbs melt,
As under the eaves of the courtesans' pavilion I sit amidst the setting sun.
千声方响敲相续，一曲云和戛未终。
A thousand sounds on the fangxiang are tapped out in continuous succession,
While a piece played on the yunhe stops abruptly before it's finished.
今日心情如往日，秋风气味似春风。
Today, my mood is like it was in days past,
The scent of the autumn breeze resembling that of the spring breeze.
唯憎小吏樽前报，道去衙时水五筒。
I only detest [when] a petty official, while my goblet is before me, informs me
That I need to report to the yamen by the time the water [reaches] the fifth tube.
Notes:
This poem was written in the year 825, when Bai, at the age of 53, had just been appointed Governor (Prefect) of Suzhou, during which time he enjoyed himself by attending numerous feasts and picnic outings. The yunhe (云和) is a now-obsolete bridge zither of Central Asian origin, which was also referred to as Yunhe pipa (云和琵琶).
This poem was written in the year 825, when Bai, at the age of 53, had just been appointed Governor (Prefect) of Suzhou, during which time he enjoyed himself by attending numerous feasts and picnic outings. The yunhe (云和) is a now-obsolete bridge zither of Central Asian origin, which was also referred to as Yunhe pipa (云和琵琶).
More information:
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=13854
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=13854
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《方响》
The Fangxiang
作者：杜牧（唐）
by Du Mu (Tang Dynasty, 803-852)
数条秋水挂琅玕，玉手丁当怕夜寒。
Its several bars, like translucent autumn water, are suspended white carnelian;
[On them], delicate jade-like hands ding and dong as we dread the night's chill.
曲尽连敲三四下，恐惊珠泪落金盘。
After she has played through three or four pieces in succession,
I'm so shocked and astounded that my tears, like pearls, fall onto a golden plate.
Notes:
● The fangxiang (方响) was a glockenspiel-like instrument consisting of 16 tuned iron (or, more rarely, bronze or jade) keys in a vertical frame, which was used in yanyue music in the Tang and Song dynasties.
● "五" (five) is sometimes substituted for "四" (four).
More information:
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=31919
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=31919
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《新安殷明府家乐方响》
A Household Musician from Yinming Mansion in Xin'an [Plays the] Fangxiang (Xin'an Yinming Fu Jiayue Fangxiang)
作者：方干（唐）
by Fang Gan (Tang Dynasty, 809-888, 886, 885, 882, or 873)
葛溪铁片梨园调，耳底丁东十六声。
Keys of Gexi iron [play] a Pear Garden tune,
The "ding-dong" of [their] 16 tones penetrating deep into our ears.
彭泽主人怜妙乐，玉杯春暖许同倾。
The host, a native of Pengze who adores exquisite music,
[Sets out] jade winecups on the warm spring day, and calls for a mutual toast.
Notes:
The fangxiang (方响) was a glockenspiel-like instrument consisting of 16 tuned iron keys in a vertical frame, which was used in yanyue (court banquet music) in the Tang and Song dynasties. Fang Gan was a scholar and poet from Zhejiang province. Xin'an (新安) is an old name for Chun'an County, Hangzhou, west-central Zhejiang province, where Fang was born. Gexi (葛溪) is a place in Yiyang County, Shangrao, northeastern Jiangxi province, which was known for its high-quality iron, which was used primarily for weapons such as swords and daggers. The Pear Garden (Chinese: Liyuan, 梨园) was an academy for court entertainment music, dance, and theater, which was established in the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an by Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756). Pengze is a place in Jiujiang, north-central Jiangxi province.
More information:
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《方响歌》
Fangxiang Song (Fangxiang Ge)
作者：李沇（唐）
by Li Yan (Tang Dynasty, d. 895)
敲金扣石声相凌，遥空冷静天正澄。
宝瓶下井辘轳急，小娃弄索伤清冰。
穿丝透管音未歇，回风绕指惊泉咽。
季伦怒击珊瑚摧，灵芸整鬓步摇折。
十六叶中侵素光，寒玲震月杂珮珰。
云和不觉罢余怨，莲峰一夜啼琴姜。
急节写商商恨促，秦愁越调逡巡足。
梦入仙楼戛残曲，飞霜棱棱上秋玉。
Fangxiang Song (Fangxiang Ge)
作者：李沇（唐）
by Li Yan (Tang Dynasty, d. 895)
敲金扣石声相凌，遥空冷静天正澄。
宝瓶下井辘轳急，小娃弄索伤清冰。
穿丝透管音未歇，回风绕指惊泉咽。
季伦怒击珊瑚摧，灵芸整鬓步摇折。
十六叶中侵素光，寒玲震月杂珮珰。
云和不觉罢余怨，莲峰一夜啼琴姜。
急节写商商恨促，秦愁越调逡巡足。
梦入仙楼戛残曲，飞霜棱棱上秋玉。
More information:
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=26723
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=26723
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《方响》
Fangxiang
作者：陆龟蒙（唐）
by Lu Guimeng (Tang Dynasty, d. 881)
Fangxiang
作者：陆龟蒙（唐）
by Lu Guimeng (Tang Dynasty, d. 881)
击霜寒玉乱丁丁，花底秋风拂坐生。
Like cold jade struck by frost, it tinkles busily,
While under the flowers, the autumn breeze caresses the seated gentlemen.
王母闲看汉天子，满猗兰殿佩环声。
The Queen Mother [of the West] gazes leisurely upon the Han Son of Heaven,
As the sound of pendant rings fills the Luxuriant Orchid Hall.
More information:
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=33989
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=33989
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《方响歌》
Fangxiang Song (Fangxiang Ge)
Fangxiang Song (Fangxiang Ge)
作者：牛殳（中唐）
by Niu Shu (mid-Tang Dynasty)
by Niu Shu (mid-Tang Dynasty)
乐中何乐偏堪赏，无过夜深听方响。
In the realm of music, it's such a delight, and a rarely encountered treat;
Nothing surpasses [sitting], deep in the night, and listening to the fangxiang.
缓击急击曲未终，暴雨飘飘生坐上。
Struck [either] softly [or] urgently, the tune not yet finished,
[The sound is like] a sudden torrential rain springing up above our seats.
铿铿铛铛寒重重，盘涡蹙派鸣蛟龙。
Jingling and jangling, cold layer upon layer,
[Like] a swirling vortex overwhelming a river's branch while a scaly dragon cries.
高楼漏滴金壶水，碎电打著山寺钟。
In a high tower, the drip-drop from the gilded reservoir of a water clock
[Is interspersed with] bursts of lightning striking a mountain temple's bell.
又似公卿入朝去，环佩鸣玉长街路。
It also resembles government ministers leaving to attend court,
Jade pendant rings tinkling at their waists as they stroll down the long avenue.
忽然碎打入破声，石崇推倒珊瑚树。
The sudden shattering strokes of the ru po [movement]
[Are like] Shi Chong pushing down a coral tree.
长短参差十六片，敲击宫商无不遍。
Its sixteen bars of unequal length, some longer and others shorter,
Beat out the Gong-Shang, [leaving] no place [that the sound] doesn't reach.
此乐不教外人闻，寻常只向堂前宴。
Outsiders aren't allowed to listen to this music,
And it is ordinarily only [performed] for banquets in the [palace's] main hall.
Notes:
1. The poem's fifth line, "铿铿铛铛寒重重," is strongly alliterative, being pronounced "Keng keng dang dang han chong chong."
2. "Scaly dragon" refers to the jiaolong (蛟龙), a creature from Chinese mythology resembling a snake with a tiger head, several fathoms in length, which was believed to have inhabited rivers and streams, where it caused floods, attacked and ate humans, and made a cry like the bellowing of a bull.
3. Ru po (入破, literally "entering [and] breaking") is a movement type that appears in many Tang-era suites.
4. Shi Chong (石崇, 249-300) was a politician of the Western Jin Dynasty who was well known for his extravagant and ostentatious lifestyle. Emperor Wu of Jin (r. 266-290) once sent his uncle Wang Kai (王恺, a wealthy man with whom Shi Chong had a notorious rivalry, both trying to outdo one another's lavish expenditures), a coral tree (Viburnum odoratissimum) two chi (c. 50 cm) in height as a gift. Shi Chong visited him, smashed it with an iron ruyi, and offered him several coral trees 3-4 chi in height in return.
5. "Gong-Shang" (宫商) refers to the first two notes of the Chinese pentatonic scale, comparable to Do and Re in the Western solfège system, and is often used metonymically to refer to musical notes, pieces, or music in general.
2. "Scaly dragon" refers to the jiaolong (蛟龙), a creature from Chinese mythology resembling a snake with a tiger head, several fathoms in length, which was believed to have inhabited rivers and streams, where it caused floods, attacked and ate humans, and made a cry like the bellowing of a bull.
3. Ru po (入破, literally "entering [and] breaking") is a movement type that appears in many Tang-era suites.
4. Shi Chong (石崇, 249-300) was a politician of the Western Jin Dynasty who was well known for his extravagant and ostentatious lifestyle. Emperor Wu of Jin (r. 266-290) once sent his uncle Wang Kai (王恺, a wealthy man with whom Shi Chong had a notorious rivalry, both trying to outdo one another's lavish expenditures), a coral tree (Viburnum odoratissimum) two chi (c. 50 cm) in height as a gift. Shi Chong visited him, smashed it with an iron ruyi, and offered him several coral trees 3-4 chi in height in return.
5. "Gong-Shang" (宫商) refers to the first two notes of the Chinese pentatonic scale, comparable to Do and Re in the Western solfège system, and is often used metonymically to refer to musical notes, pieces, or music in general.
More information:
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=7674
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=7674
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《夜闻方响》
Hearing a Fangxiang at Night (Ye Wen Fangxiang)
Hearing a Fangxiang at Night (Ye Wen Fangxiang)
作者：雍陶（中唐）
by Yong Tao (mid-Tang Dynasty; born c. 805; fl. 834)
方响闻时夜已深，声声敲著客愁心。
At the time I heard the fangxiang, it was already deep into the night,
And the cling-clang of its incessant striking was unsettling to my guests.
不知正在谁家乐，月下犹疑是远砧。
I don't know whose house this music was coming from,
But, under the moon, it closely resembled [the sound of] a distant anvil.
Notes:
The fangxiang (方响) was a glockenspiel-like instrument consisting of 16 tuned iron (or, more rarely, bronze or jade) keys in a vertical frame, which was used in yanyue music in the Tang and Song dynasties.
More information:
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=50139
https://sou-yun.cn/Query.aspx?type=poem1&id=50139
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Bibliography
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Additional Web resources
● Fangxiang/banghyang/hōkyō Facebook photo album (maintained by David Badagnani)
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Thanks to Steven Nelson for assistance with this page.
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