Chinese Arts & Music

Traditional Arts of China

China’s artistic traditions represent some of the oldest continuous customs in the world. While styles and techniques have been modified over the millennia, the nation’s poetry, sculptures, music, and paintings are descended from traditions stretching back thousands of years. The sheer variety and depth of Chinese arts and music cannot be briefly summarized. Understanding its major schools of expression, however, can provide a better understanding of its culture as a whole.

Chinese Calligraphy and Painting

Literacy and dexterity with a brush were historically a sign of status and refinement in China. Because of this, calligraphy and painting, alongside poetry, emerged as the primary arts of its upper classes. The symbolism inherent in Chinese characters made calligraphy more akin to the painting of ideas than simple writing. Landscape, nature, and figure paintings allowed for more creative expression. Ink-wash painting, using similar materials as calligraphy, was particularly prestigious. Favorite subjects among later artists included mountainous landscapes, cityscapes, and animals in natural settings.

Poetry and Literature of China

The third major art of China’s ancient scholars was poetry and, more broadly, literature. Poetry survives from as much as 3,000 years ago through the Book of Songs or Odes. They reveal a world of soldiers riding to battle on chariots, as well as the sorrow of their loved ones left behind. Classical Chinese poetry tended to favor simplicity, subtle imagery, and universal human experiences. Romantic sentiments and natural scenes are often featured. Because nearly all Chinese officials were taught to read and write poetry, an extensive and often anonymous body of work exists from all of its major dynasties.

Textile Arts

For thousands of years, silk textiles formed the basis of China’s trade with the outside world. The fabric, derived from the cocoons of silkworms, is famous for its strength, beauty, ease of dying, and lightness. The Chinese mastered several methods to produce and use silk, including weaving, embroidery, and painting. The colors and imagery used on the fabric all carried their own meanings and symbolism. The emperors of China controlled and guarded silk production until the secret was stolen by two Byzantine monks. Even then, China remained the premier manufacturer of the textile. It is still a major industry within the nation, and the material has recently been studied for industrial and medical uses.

Sculpture, Casting, and Ceramics

Among its other ancient arts, sculpture, metalworking, and ceramics have all shaped Chinese culture and industry. Pottery is perhaps its oldest artform besides rock painting; the earliest known wares found in China date to at least 6,000 BCE. Jade has been carved for decorative and practical purposes for nearly as long. The culture’s first dynasties, the Shang and Zhou, mastered bronze casting. Their artisans worked with large quantities of bronze for warfare, worship, and ornamentation.

Over time, craftsmen perfected and expanded their techniques in each of these fields. They coated their pottery with lacquer, preserving carvings and designs with a clear, hard coat. The Qin dynasty produced one of the most famous relics of China’s past: the terracotta warriors, a life-sized army built to accompany Emperor Qin Shi Huang to the afterlife. More commonplace ceramics could be mass produced, though they were typically still hand-decorated by artists. Jade, favored by Confucianism, became a symbol of imperial power and was carved into exquisite jewelry and statues.

Music and Dance of China

Music in Chinese history primarily consists of court and military music and the folk music of its regional cultures. Within the imperial system, many emperors supported an imperial Music Bureau, tasked with the production of musical instruments and performances. Depending on the era, both men and women were trained as musicians and dancers. They played hundreds of instruments, including zithers, lutes, fiddles, pipes, flutes, drums, bells, gongs, and harps. Songs, poetry, and dances were often performed together.

Theater also held an important role among the Chinese nobility. Chinese operas varied in their number of performers, composition, and plots. Tastes changed by dynasty and location, with specific schools of opera developing in different cities. Classical operas and Western-influenced productions are still staged in China today.

Modern Arts of China

Modern Chinese artists draw from their rich heritage and current trends to create art across all media. During the revolutionary period of the early 20th century, much of China’s ancient philosophy, arts, and social norms were suppressed in favor of new political ideals. The Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and ‘70s saw many of its antiquities destroyed in the name of progress. Some artists traveled abroad, where they learned to combine Chinese and Western art styles. This trend has continued to the modern day, encouraging Chinese artists to create pieces that appeal to both local and international audiences. Today, China is known for its film, television, and pop music industries. Government censorship, however, has limited creative expression in certain fields, particularly literature.

References

Gernet, Jacques. A History of Chinese Civilization. Cambridge University Press. 1996.

Gunde, Richard. Culture and Customs of China. Greenwood Publishing. 2002.

Liu, James. The Art of Chinese Poetry. University of Chicago Press. 1966.

Newman, Jacqueline. Food Culture in China. Greenwood Publishing. 2004.

Sullivan, Michael. A Short History of Chinese Art. University of California Press. 1967.

Von Glahn, Richard. An Economic History of China. Cambridge University Press. 2016.

Wood, Nigel. Chinese Glazes: Their Origins, Chemistry, and Recreation. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1999.

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Traditions of the Ancestors

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