Chinese Buddhist Temple Music

Each of the many temples in China has it's own special style of music. The Beijing Zhi Hua Temple was built during the Ming dynasty in 1443. Zhi Hua Temple music has remained pure and close to it's original state, being passed down through 27 generations exclusively through orgal transmission. Having it's roots in the music of the Tang and Song dynasties, Zhi Hua Temple music derived it's special style by combining court, Buddhist temple, and folk music. Two styles of this music developed, differentiating primarily in playing styles, instrumentation and title of pieces. Jing Yue (music from the Beijing area) is the most popular and Cham Yue (chanting music) is used exclusively for Buddhist services and ceremonies. The instrumentation consists primarily of percussion and wind instruments, with the lead instruments being the oboe-like guanzi. The earliest score dates back to the Qing dynasty. In the 1980s, much attention was given to Buddhist temple music and the first Chinese Buddhist music touring ensemble was founded. The most famous guanzi masters, Hu Zhi Hou and Bao Jian emerged as the only two guanzi players to carry on the Zhi Hua Temple music tradition, taking the music out of the temple and into the concert hall to the delight of spell-bound audiences worldwide.