Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/762

CHINESE LANGUAGE. 064 CHINESE WALL. of the East; Beal, Texts of Taoism, ibid.. Vols. XXXIX. and XL. (Oxford, 1892) ; Giles, &7roM(/e istories from a Chinese Studio (London, 1879), and Chinese Poetry in English Verse ( London, 1898); also his Chuang Ssii (London, 1889); Looniis, Confucius and the Chinese Classics (San Francisco, 1807); Marquis d'llervoy de Saint Dennis, Poesie de I'epoque de T'ang ( Paris, 187G) ; 0. de llarlez. La poesie ehinoise (Paris, 1893) ; Cams, Lao-Tzc's Tao-Teh-King (Chicago, 1898) ; Chavanucs, Mcmoires historiques de tSsc-ma Ts'ien (Paris, 1895-99) ; Bazin, Theatre chinois (Paris, 1838) ; and Lockhart, Manual of Chinese Quotations (Hong Kong, 1893). For literary history and criticism, see Wylie, Sotcs on Chi- nese Literature (Shanghai, 1867) ; (iiles, His- toric China and Other Sketches (London, 1882), and .1 History of Chinese Literature (Xew York, 1901), the only volume devotfd to the sub- ject; Martin, The Lore of Cathay (New York, 1901); James, Chinese Literature (Shanghai, 1899) ; Candlin, Chinese Fiction (Chicago, 1898). Consult also the Chinese Repository (Canton, 1830-51) ; China Heriew (Hong Kong, 1870-190-2) ; Transactions of China Branch of Royal Asiatic Societi/ (Shanghai, 1850-1902) : Ball, Things C/iiiiese' (Xew York, 1893); and Cordier's Bihliotheca Sinica (3 vols., Paris, 1881-95). CHINESE MUSIC. The music of no other nation presents ^uoh a vast dillerence between the theoretical writings and the practical execution as does that of China. The theory- of music had reached a high state of development at the earliest times of which we have record; but the practical execution of mvisic was then, and is still to-day, nothing else than a barbarous, cacophonous com- bination of noises worthy of the rudest savages. The oldest Chinese scale consists of but five tones: F, G, A, C, D. The names of these tones were kuny. chang, kio, che, yu. For centuries this incomplete scale remained in use until Tsay- Yu introduced, against violent opposition, the two remaining tones B, E, known as pien-chung (the mediator) and pie«-7io (the leader) , Strange to saj-, from the very beginning the Chinese theory was acquainted with the full octave and its division into twelve .semitones. Each semi- tone was called Lii. The idea was conceived of arranging a scries of twelve bamboo pipes so that each pipe would produce one Lii. As the older liymns, moving within the compass of the old five-tone scale, could not be adapted to this new device, the pipes were divided into two series, in each of which the progression should be b}' whole tones, one called perfect, the other im- perfect : (1.) Series F, G, A, B, CS, DS— perfect, ( 2.) Series FJf, GJf, AJ, C, D, E —imperfect. Tliis progression of whole tones was soon found unsatisfactory. As the result of various experi- ments a new scale, consisting of fourteen tones, was adopted. ■ Tliis began with the tetrachord B. C, n. E, to which was added the octave F, G, A, B, C, D, E, and three tones above, F, G, A. Within this compass our C major scale is com- prised, and the fact that the tones have the same names in different octaves proves that the Clii- nese understood the principle of the octave. But F was still regarded as the fundamental tone. The fifth tones above and below F are regarded as its helpers, for by means of progression in fifths it was possible to arrive again at the starting tone: F— C— G— D— A— E— B— FJ— C$ -_GJt— DJf— AS— EJt (F). The first seven of these tones, in the progression, are called 'principles,' the other five 'complements,' The fifth above is called Ta-Kincn-Kcu (great interval), the fifth below TchaoKincn-Keu (small interval). Every Lii or semitone may be taken as tlic fundamental tone (kung) of a scale, and tluis the same scale can api)ear in twelve transjiositions. As, more- over, every Lii can diange its place seven times within the same scale (i, e, it may be on the first, second, third, etc, step), there arises the total number of 84 scales. The musical instruments of the Chinese are strictly divided into eiglit classes, according to the material employed to produce a tone. One of the chief instruments is the king, consisting of a IrauH" on which are bung stone phitos, which are struck l)y a mallet. There are in all sixteen plates, hanging in two rows. They are tuneil in the twelve Liis of the octave and four additional tones. The nio-king is a king made of esiM'cially fine plates, and this instrument is to be played only b' the Emjjeror himself. The cheng is a peculiar instrument somewhat resembling a small organ. It consists of a gourd over which are arranged 12 or 24 bamboo pipes closed at the lower end with metal [)latcs. with which are connected reeds. Each pipe has a hole which is stopped with the finger to produce the tone. The necessary wind is produced by a bellows. The clieng is the diapason of the Chinese, By it all other instruments are tuned. The kin is a stringed instrument with twenty-five strings made of twisted silk. Yo and che are flutes made of bamboo. The ov is seriously regarded as a mu- sical instrument. It consists of a wooden image of a tiger. The end of a concert is indicated by striking three blows upcm the liead of this tiger and running a small stick {chrn) over the back of the figure. The drums are built in all sizes, and occupy a position of importance, for the chief purpose of Chinese music is to make as much noise as possible. As everything else, the number of instruments, of singers, etc., is strictly regulated by laws. According to the importance of the occasion, the niimber of performers may vary from two mandarins, two singers, and twelve instrumentalists to as many as thirteen m;in- darins, four singers, and fifty-two instrumental- ists. The actual Chinese melodies are devoid of iill artistic sense; there is no rhythm, no sym- metry, no melody, ^lost of the airs illustrate the conservatism of China by the fact that the tones B and E, which were wanting in the oldest scale, are almost always avoided. For full in- formation the reader is referred to .Xmbros, (Ic- schichtc drr Musik. Vol. I. (Leipzig, 1880); Roussicr, Notes et observations sur le memoire da P. Amiof concrrnant la musique des Chinois (Paris, 1779). CHINESE WALL, A wall once 1250 miles long, extending lietwcen Mongolia and China projicr from Suchau, in Kiang-su, eastward to the Gulf of Pe-chi-li, with an extension northeastward to the .Suiigari Kivcr, It is called in -Mongolian the White Wall, in Chiiioe the wall of 10,000 Li, and is the most gigantic ilefensivc work in the world. In the Third Century u.c. an earllnvork against the incursions of the Tatars was thrown uj) V >iich in jiarts corresponds with the present wall. The latter, however, as recent researches indicate, dates only from the latter part of the