A performer plays the world's first set of meteorite-made chimes at the Museum for Oriental Musical Instruments in Shanghai on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
A special exhibition on Chinese music, instruments and the technology behind them opened on Thursday at the Museum for Oriental Musical Instruments in Shanghai.
Co-organized by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, the exhibition consists of three display halls and many sectors. A large number of eye-catching musical instruments on display depict the footprints of Chinese civilization and musical development, including the bianzhong (bronze bells) of Marquis Yi of Zeng, the guqin (a plucked seven-string instrument) as well as diverse gongs and drums from different ethnic groups across China.
Performers with Chinese musical instruments at the exhibition opening at the Museum for Oriental Musical Instruments in Shanghai on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Tang Junjie, deputy Communist Party secretary and deputy dean of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, described the exhibition as an audible and tangible "musical scroll" of Chinese civilization, gathering musical instruments and melodies transcending time and space boundaries.
Tang said the academy is committed to promoting the innovative transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture, while the exhibition offers visitors a brand new cultural experience that combines history, art, science and technology.
The world's first set of 20 meteorite-made chimes made its full-scale debut show at the opening ceremony.
Performers with Chinese musical instruments at the exhibition opening at the Museum for Oriental Musical Instruments in Shanghai on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Liu Jian, deputy curator of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, said: "When the sound of the meteorite chimes resonates, what we hear is not merely music, but a cosmic echo spanning 4.6 billion years and a dialogue with the ritual music tradition of Chinese civilization. We hope to offer audiences a unique and fresh experience on the first day of the New Year."
The exhibition also features a number of interactive activities. Visitors can play the special chimes in person and relax in the cosmic sound, as well as create interactive music with artificial intelligence.
