Guqin: The Path of Music
Guqin: The Path of Music

Summary/Abstract: In Chinese culture prevails understanding that every thing and phenomena in the universe follow their own Dao (Cosmic Path). The article discusses how Chinese literati generation after generation continuously reinterpreted and reinforced the idea of muical instrument guqin as Dao Path, making it a significant symbolic representation of Chinese culture. The Dao of guqin was gradually linked with a cluster of other cultural and philosophical ideas – the “Path of Music”, the “Path of Confucianism”, the “Path of the Sage”, the “Path of the Universe” and other “Paths”. Thus, a special instrument was transformed beyond its mere musical function, and was connected with ineffable Dao. The article concludes that consequently Dao can be interpreted as Dao of national culture, where important cultural contributors not only inherit from cultural tradition, but also continuously reconstruct and give life to the core ideas and values - Dao of the nation.

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