The Seven Wonders of the World is a conventional saying, but there is still disagreement on what the eighth wonder of the world is, but one thing is certain is that this must be in China, and more believe that the eighth wonder of the world is the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang in Xi'an , there is another saying that it is the chime of Zeng Houyi unearthed in Suizhou, Hubei in 1978. The great significance of this set of chimes is not only limited to its exquisite bronze casting skills and profound historical and cultural significance, but also its musical attainments that can change the history of world music.
As a traditional musical instrument in ancient my country, chimes began in the Xia Dynasty, developed to their peak in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and were still used in the Qin and Han Dynasties. In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, with the decline of the central kingship, the phenomenon of arrogance gradually appeared in the local vassal states. The number of bells they cast became more and more, and the size of the bells became larger and larger. render.
Zeng Houyi's chime was buried deep underground for more than 2,400 years. It was discovered by accident in 1978. It could stand still. Even the wooden shelf on which the chime was hung was not rotted or rusted. It was a wonder of the world. This set of chimes is huge. It consists of 65 chimes, 64 of which can be pronounced. The other is a gift from the king of Chu to the owner of the chime, Zeng Houyi. It is full of inscriptions. The largest chime is 152 cm high and weighs 203 kg, the minimum height is only 20 cm, and the weight is 5 catties.
This set of chimes is undoubtedly for the use of the king of Zeng Hou Yi, and ordinary people cannot enjoy it. The instruments used to beat the chimes are also unique. The small bell is made by the maid with a T-shaped hammer to strike the pronunciation. There are also special musicians who use a huge wooden stick to beat the big chime. The total weight of this set of chimes reached 2.5 tons, and the total weight of the shelves exceeded 5 tons, which is rare in the world. What rewrites the history of world music in this set of chimes is that it was born more than 2,000 years earlier than the piano, and its range is so wide that it can almost be compared with the pianos born in modern times. The highest and lowest notes are only one octave less than that of the piano. Before this set of chimes was unearthed, many people believed that the seven-tone scale was passed down from Europe, and its unearthed directly enriched the history of music in my country. What's even more amazing is that each chime can make two sounds, the front sound and the side sound are different, one bell with two tones, shocking the world. With proper coordination and mastery of rhythm, this set of chimes can play the most complex music in the world.