The Voice of Nature and the Human Soul from China

On 21 March 2025, the temporary exhibition of the Museum of Ethnography entitled "May the Zithers Sing Merrily!" was expanded with ancient Chinese musical instruments. The Voice of Nature and the Human Soul from China - An Exhibition of Guqins from the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing showcases extremely valuable instruments that may be thousands of years old. The 10 artefacts coming to Budapest have an insured value of HUF 3.2 billion.

The exhibition of Hungarian zithers is enriched with rare Chinese zithers, guqins, with a history of thousands of years, and are presented under the title The Voice of Nature and the Human Soul from China - An Exhibition of Guqins from the China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing. In addition to the beauty, the sound and the art of making the instruments, which have been provided at an insured value of HUF 3.2 billion, the exhibition also focuses on the spirituality, myths and philosophical ideas associated with them, since the history of the guqin has been permeated from the very beginning by the philosophy of Taoism, the principle of harmonious coexistence with nature and the principle of creating a balance between man and nature.  

Chinese intellectuals and art. The uniquely graceful, delicately contoured body of the instrument was developed in the Song period. Scholars of the period took great care to study the kaqin, combining the theory of the instrument with traditional Chinese philosophy and aesthetics. As the instrument that best captured the essence of Chinese culture, the guqin became a symbol of Chinese culture. This is how it came to be at the forefront of the four main arts - the guqin, Go (qi), calligraphy and painting. The exhibition offers an opportunity to examine in detail the physical characteristics, sound and cultural significance of the instrument, and to understand how the guqin has conveyed and continues to convey Chinese musical and philosophical traditions.

The material, form and sound of the instrument reflect the aesthetic and thinking of an era in which the harmony of art and nature played a decisive role. The exhibition therefore not only introduces visitors to the history and development of the guqin and its associated styles, but also provides insights into the deeper layers of Chinese culture and intellectual tradition.

The origins and development of the guqin are richly documented, tracing back from mythical tales to references in classical texts such as the Book of Documents (尚书, Shu Jing, also known as the Classic of History), and are further supported by archaeological discoveries. Although the earliest mention of the guqin dates from around the 11th century BC, the earliest known date of making of the instrument is the early Spring and Autumn period (770-476/403 BC). In the current exhibition, we can see 'only' its younger descendants, such as the Song Shi Jian Yi (Harmony Between Pine and Rock) from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD).

The priceless instruments that arrived at the museum connect in a separate room to the large-scale and interactive exhibition May the Zithers Sing Merrily!, which will be on display until 29 June 2025, and will focus on the most popular and most loved Hungarian folk instruments.