ChineseMusicdatesbacktothedawnofChinesecivilizationwithdocumentsandartifactsprovidingevidenceofawell-developedmusicalcultureasearlyastheZhouDynasty(1122BC–256BC).Today,themusiccontinuesarichtraditionalheritageinoneaspect,whileemergingintoamorecontemporaryformatthesametime.

　　AccordingtoMencius,apowerfulruleronceaskedhimwhetheritwasmoralifhepreferredpopularmusictotheclassics.Theanswerwasthatitonlymatteredthattherulerlovehissubjects.TheImperialMusicBureau,firstestablishedintheQinDynasty(221–07BC),wasgreatlyexpandedundertheEmperorHanWuDi(140–87BC)andchargedwithsupervisingcourtmusicandmilitarymusicanddeterminingwhatfolkmusicwouldbeofficiallyrecognized.Insubsequentdynasties,thedevelopmentofChinesemusicwasstronglyinfluencedbyforeignmusic,especiallyCentralAsia.

　　TheoldestknownwrittenmusicisYoulanortheSolitaryOrchid,attributedtoConfucius(seeguqinarticleforasampleoftablature).Thefirstmajorwell-documentedfloweringofChinesemusicwasfortheqinduringtheTangDynasty,thoughtheqinisknowntohavebeenplayedsincebeforetheHanDynasty.

　　InancientChinathepositionofmusicianswasmuchlowerthanthatofpainters,thoughmusicwasseenascentraltotheharmonyandlongevityofthestate.Almosteveryemperortookfolksongsseriously,sendingofficerstocollectsongstoinspectthepopularwill.OneoftheConfucianistClassics,ShiJing(TheClassicofPoetry),containedmanyfolksongsdatingfrom800BCtoabout400BC.

　　ThefirstEuropeantoreachChinawithamusicalinstrumentwasJesuitpriestMatteoRicciwhopresentedaHarpsichordtotheLeeimperialcourtin1601,andtrainedfoureunuchstoplayit.

　　DragonDance

　　Thefamousdragondancewithmusicisalsoarememberedtradition.ItisseenonChineseNewYearacrosstheworldbymillions.Itisnotknownwhenthetraditionstarted,butitisbelievedtobethousandsofyearsago,asentertainmentofformeremperors,royalsandnobles.

　　TraditionalmusicinChinaisplayedonsoloinstrumentsorinsmallensemblesofpluckedandbowedstringedinstruments,flutes,andvariouscymbals,gongs,anddrums.Thescaleispentatonic.BamboopipesandqinareamongtheoldestknownmusicalinstrumentsfromChina;instrumentsaretraditionallydividedintocategoriesbasedontheirmaterialofcomposition:animalskins,gourd,bamboo,wood,silk,earth/clay,metalandstone.Chineseorchestrastraditionallyconsistofbowedstrings,woodwinds,pluckedstringsandpercussion.

　　资料还有很多,这里就不一一复制了,可以去wikipedia的英文版用musicofchina搜一下