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The Qin in Popular Culture: Novels and Opera 1  

Many essays describe the silk string qin zither as an instrument solely for scholars and recluses, men of principle who exercised restraint. But how accurately did this represent the view of most educated Chinese? In the past, how did the literati interact with popular culture, and how was the qin depicted there?3 How is it depicted in modern popular media?4

Qin melodies do in fact most often deal with nature and the lofty and pure attitudes of qin players; and purists (some might say fundamentalists) even wrote that one shouldn't play the qin for merchants, courtesans, foreigners or other sorts of vulgar people.5 Certainly, they wrote, the instrument of the sages should not be associated with gain or romance, only with the Confucian desire to serve and the Daoist urge to remain aloof.6

On the other hand, it is important to note that depictions of the qin in popular culture often show the instrument in a somewhat different light. Novels and operas often mention the above attitudes towards the qin, but they also sometimes mock the pretence involved.7 They also temper these ideals with depictions of worldly activities.

Relevant novels/stories and operas can be divided into two types, those which mention the qin, and those which have the same theme as qin melodies.8

 I. Novels and operas with significant reference to the qin
     Selective list, in chronological order 9

  1. Hong Lou Meng (Dream of the Red Chamber
  2. Xi Xiang Ji (Story of the Western Chamber))
  3. Zhuwu Ting Qin (Listening to the Qin from a Bamboo Thicket)
  4. Pipa Ji (Story of the Lute)
  5. Yuzan Ji (Story of the Jade Hairpin)
  6. Kong Cheng Ji (Ruse of the Empty City)
  7. Xi You Ji (Journey to the West), especially the dialogue between a fisherman and a woodcutter,

II. Stories found in the repertoires of both qin and opera:
     Chronological listing; pre-Qing dynasty titles only (see more on LXS10)

  1. Hudie Meng (See LXS 11 etc. and Zhuang Zhou Meng Die)
  2. Han Gong Qiu (See LXS 22, etc. and Longshuo Cao; see also Zhaojun Chu Sai below)
  3. Yi Qiao Jin Lü (See LXS 28 and Yi Qiao Jin Lü)
  4. Chibi Fu (See LXS 86 etc., Qian Chibi Fu and Hou Chibi Fu)
  5. Guang Chengzi (See LXS 148 and Kongtong Wen Dao)
  6. Zhuo Wenjun (See LXS 160 etc. and Feng Qiu Huang; by Zhu Quan)
  7. Lanting Hui (See LXS 187 and Liu Shang)
  8. Zhaojun Chu Sai (See LXS 190 and Zhaojun Yuan; see also Hanjie Cao above)
  9. Wenji Ru Sai (See LXS 190 and Da Hujia)

In addition, the 1833 commentary connecting Saishang Hong with kunqu suggests that this and hence perhaps other qin melodies may have been inspired by or even taken from opera. In this regard it may be useful to examine qin melody titles that have also been identified as qupai (opera tunes).11

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. The Qin in Popular Culture
For qin in popular art, see some preliminary comments under Women and the qin.
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2. Image
Not yet selected.
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3. Literati and popular culture
R. H. Van Gulik (Lore, pp. 48-9) wrote the following about the reality of the rôle of the qin in Chinese society.

Few scholars were expert on the qin, but on various occasions in official and private life they enjoyed popular music. Now the qin supplied a means of self-justification for these scholars, both to other people and to themselves. In all sorts of mixed company the scholar could listen with delight to performances of popular music, and from time to time lustily chime in with some gay song; but when asked about his views on music, he could gravely point to the qins hanging up in his library, and thereby definitely remove all doubts that might exist with regard to his elevated disposition. On the other hand, returning from a noisy banquet with some old friends, enlivened by the presence of some charming singing girls, the scholar could, in the silence of his library, take the qin from its brocade cover, burn incense, and touch a few strings, thereby convincing himself that, although he might temporarily amuse himself with vulgar music in order to while away some moments of leisure, in reality he only appreciated the sacred music of the Ancients.
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4. Guqin in modern media
The focus of this page is qin references in classical times. For some more modern references see some Wikipedia pages, such as answers.com and schools. The latter mentions a Cantonese feature film for which I wrote and played qin music, House of the Lute (1979).
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5. Restrictions on playing qin
Certain handbooks list sets of rules for when and where not to play qin. Complementing these rules about for whom one should not play are the statements in the first three paragraphs of Zhu Quan's Shen Qi Mi Pu preface saying who should not be playing (but who were at that time). The modern reader then must decide: How many people actually followed these rules? Was Zhu Quan accurate? Perhaps this is simply evidence of the qin's broader role in society. In this regard it is interesting to note illustrations 35 and 36 in Van Gulik's Lore of the Chinese Lute (between pp.224 and 225). In one someone is playing a qin facing a woman (geisha?) playing a sanxian three string banjo. In the other some merchants are playing qin, sanxian, sheng mouth organ and xiao end-blown flute.
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6. The qin ideology section has more on orthodox attitudes towards the qin.
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7. Satire on attitudes towards qin
See, for example, Musical Instruments/Zither in the indices to David Tod Roy (trans.), The Plum in the Golden Vase (Jin Ping Mei), Volumes One and Two. There is a clear element of satire involved in the author's presentation of people who give lip service to the lofty ideals connected to the qin.
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8. Opera titles often change or have variants. Only one title is included here.
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9. Novels and operas with significant reference to the qin
Some of the melodies with such references are as follows:

  1. Feng Qiu Huang (Wen Jun Cao)
  2. Xiao Xiang Shui Yun
  3. Zhi Zhao Fei
  4. Guanghan You
  5. Hujia Shibapai
  6. Wen Wang Cao
  7. Gao Shan
  8. Liu Shui
  9. Si Xian (Yasheng Cao)
  10. Yi Lan.
  11. Zhaojun Yuan
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10. LXS: 李修生（主編），古本戲曲劇目提要 (北京，文化藝術出版社，1997)
     Li Xiusheng (ed.), Guben Xiqu Jumu Tiyao (Outlines and Analyses of Old Opera Scripts)
The list here was compiled from titles found in this Chinese compendium of old opera stories - in other words there is a description of the opera story. In many cases a story may the the subject of more than one opera; the effort here is to use the name of only the earliest version, followed by "etc.". Many other relevant operas exist in title only. These are often mentioned in my introductions to individual melodies (see next footnote).
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11. Qin melody titles shared with qupai (opera tune) titles
There is no particular information suggesting any melodic connection between these qin melody titles and the qupai, but no one has studied this topic so it cannot be stated that there is no connection. Relevant qupai titles include:

  1. Zhegui Ling (under Guanghan Qiu)
  2. Chun Gui Yuan (under Yulou Chun Xiao)
  3. Fenghuang Taishang Yi Chui Xiao
  4. Shui Long Yin
  5. Feng Ru Song
  6. Wuling Chun (under Tao Yuan Chun Xiao)
  7. Wu Ye Ti
  8. Qing Jiang Yin (under Ting Qin Fu)
  9. Huang Ying Yin

This list was compiled by searching this site for 曲牌 or qupai, so it would have only yielded identified Yuan opera or opera tunes. Hence it does not include the titles listed above, which came later.
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