Chinese younger generation rediscovers ancient poem's roots in music

A Chinese student playing a Pipa, a Chinese plucked string instrument. [Photo/VCG]

Ancient Chinese poems' musical roots

However, the Chinese people's passion for the poems as lyrics of songs is by no means accidental. The ancient Chinese poems could find their roots in music.

Tracing its origin, the ancient Chinese poems evolved from folklore. The Classic of Poetry, which is considered as the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, is said to be comprised of folk songs dating from the 11th to the 7th centuries BC.

The poem, "Song of a Pipa Player", was written in a Yuefu style, the name of which is derived from an ancient organization named "Music Bureau".

Poet Bai Juyi's works were widely welcomed even in his age for their unaffected and rhythmical style. Many singers at that time preferred to compose music for his poems and sing them out.

China has seen a rising tendency in rediscovering its traditional culture in recent years, especially among the younger generation. Since the beginning of the year, many variety shows featuring traditional culture have gone viral on China's social network Sina Weibo.

A number of original songs, videos and animations based on the ancient culture have increasingly attracted people's attention in recent years, and most of their composers were born in the 1980s and 1990s.

Qiran and Shenmiren, composers of the "Song of a Pipa Player", said their studio is planning to compose songs for most of the ancient poems and prose selected on the high school text books.

"It is a great pleasure to see so many high school students enjoying the song. If it helps them learn and recite the poems, we will continue to compose for sure," said Qiran. "We hope that after listening to the whole album, they will get full marks in the Chinese examination," he joked.