Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more 禄Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
City-born architect lists inspiration behind his designs in a new book
Digitization helps preserve, disseminate intangible cultural heritage
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Home 禄 Sunday 禄 Now and Then
楂樺北娴佹按 (gao1 shan1 liu2 shui3) - Finding source of inspiration, energy
By Zhang Ciyun |
December 14, 2008, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
It may sound bizarre if someone likens a good friend or wonderful music to (gao1 shan1 liu2 shui3), or "high mountains and flowing rivers." However, this popular Chinese idiom comes from a touching story about Yu Boya, a legendary virtuoso of the guqin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument similar to a zither).
Yu lived during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) and when he was young, Yu loved playing the guqin. He later became a student of Cheng Lian, the best guqin player of the time.
Under Cheng's tutoring, Yu made remarkable progress and after three years of practice he had almost mastered the instrument.
However, Yu felt that he still wasn't a real guqin virtuoso and could not use it to freely express his feelings.
One day, Cheng told his student: "I have taught you whatever I know, but I can see that you aren't quite satisfied. So, I'll recommend you to another teacher who can bring your playing to perfection."
Next morning, Cheng took Yu to the top of a mountain cliff overlooking the sea. "You wait here and your new instructor will arrive in a few minutes." Then Cheng went away leaving Yu alone on the top of the mountain.
Yu waited and waited, but no one showed up. Then, gradually, he became enthralled by the sound of the sea waves crashing on the rocks below and the singing of the birds and whispering leaves in the nearby woods.
When the sun began to set, it suddenly dawned upon Yu that the new instructor recommended by Cheng was none other than nature herself. Yu realized that only by learning from nature could he gain virtuosity of the instrument. So, he found an inexhaustible source of inspiration and energy.
Yu finally reached the level of perfection he had sought and became the best guqin player of his time. But because of the profundity of his musical works, Yu found few people could really understand them. Only his bosom friend, Zhong Ziqi, could actually appreciate his talents.
When Yu was playing a new tune one day, Zhong became very excited. He said: "It's wonderful, I can see lofty Mount Tai in front of me." Then Yu played another tune and Zhong clapped his hands, saying: "Bravo! It's just as melodious as the flowing rivers."
Since then, people use "high mountains and flowing rivers" to describe a soul mate like Zhong Ziqi or wonderful music such as the works created by Yu Boya.
Yu lived during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) and when he was young, Yu loved playing the guqin. He later became a student of Cheng Lian, the best guqin player of the time.
Under Cheng's tutoring, Yu made remarkable progress and after three years of practice he had almost mastered the instrument.
However, Yu felt that he still wasn't a real guqin virtuoso and could not use it to freely express his feelings.
One day, Cheng told his student: "I have taught you whatever I know, but I can see that you aren't quite satisfied. So, I'll recommend you to another teacher who can bring your playing to perfection."
Next morning, Cheng took Yu to the top of a mountain cliff overlooking the sea. "You wait here and your new instructor will arrive in a few minutes." Then Cheng went away leaving Yu alone on the top of the mountain.
Yu waited and waited, but no one showed up. Then, gradually, he became enthralled by the sound of the sea waves crashing on the rocks below and the singing of the birds and whispering leaves in the nearby woods.
When the sun began to set, it suddenly dawned upon Yu that the new instructor recommended by Cheng was none other than nature herself. Yu realized that only by learning from nature could he gain virtuosity of the instrument. So, he found an inexhaustible source of inspiration and energy.
Yu finally reached the level of perfection he had sought and became the best guqin player of his time. But because of the profundity of his musical works, Yu found few people could really understand them. Only his bosom friend, Zhong Ziqi, could actually appreciate his talents.
When Yu was playing a new tune one day, Zhong became very excited. He said: "It's wonderful, I can see lofty Mount Tai in front of me." Then Yu played another tune and Zhong clapped his hands, saying: "Bravo! It's just as melodious as the flowing rivers."
Since then, people use "high mountains and flowing rivers" to describe a soul mate like Zhong Ziqi or wonderful music such as the works created by Yu Boya.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
