On July 13th, the "Harmony of Heaven and Earth - Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Musical Instruments" opened at the "National Museum Hall" of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, with more than 200 exquisite cultural relics playing the harmony of civilization spanning thousands of years. This is another exhibition masterpiece presented by the National Museum to the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, allowing the development and evolution history of ancient Chinese music and musical instruments to bloom on the stage of Xinjiang, the "land of song and dance", and profoundly interpreting the historical charm of Chinese culture's "beauty and harmony, and the blooming of a hundred flowers". Entering the exhibition hall, the first thing that catches the eye is the famous Jiahu Bone Flute. This bone flute, carefully crafted from the ulna of cranes 8000 years ago, has been polished over time and its surface remains smooth. After testing, it was found to be able to play a complete seven tone subtonic scale, providing physical evidence for the development of Chinese music scales and the origin of the seven tone scale, and is known as the "source of Chinese music civilization". There is a Neolithic red pottery drum in the display cabinet, with a waist and pointed bottom shape that exudes a primitive and simple atmosphere. The mouth edge is decorated with a staggered arrangement of tooth shaped inverted hooks, and a small round hole in the lower abdomen is faintly visible. Zhuge Yingliang, Deputy Research Curator and Curator of the National Museum of China, stated that there are various opinions in the archaeological community regarding the purpose of this artifact. However, regardless of the interpretation, the design of its tooth shaped hook and sound producing circular hole points to early human exploration of "sound" and "form", carrying the wisdom of the early stages of civilization. In the exhibition area, the Shang Dynasty elephant pattern stands quietly. The concave elephant body pattern on the inner wall of the vessel complements the inscription of the two characters' Zuxin '. Zuxin "is the temple name of the ancestor who made the instrument, implying that this instrument is not only a heavy tool for sacrificial music, but also carries the memory of the ancestors and the clan. Zhuge Yingliang introduced that this type of bronze spear is tall and heavy, mainly unearthed in the southern region. Its majestic size and intricate patterns not only witness the exquisite craftsmanship of southern bronze in the late Shang Dynasty, but also reflect the essence of "sacrifice and honor". The Western Zhou Dynasty bell in the display cabinet stands upright in a cylindrical shape, with the tuning grooves on the inner wall of the chamber faintly visible. The shape and decoration of this clock are exemplary of the late Western Zhou Dynasty, and can be regarded as a microcosm of the mature ritual and music system. The arrangement of every decoration on the clock body and the design of every inch of curvature are in line with the ancient saying 'the one who enjoys is the harmony of heaven and earth'. When the musician strikes with a hammer, the sound becomes clearer and longer, reflecting the social ideal of "the same stream of music, distinguishing differences in ritual", and integrating the concept of "there is no royal land under the world" into the splendid chapters of ritual and music. Under the light, the white glazed pottery surfaces of Tang Dynasty human and ghost heads exude a warm and glossy luster. The human head wears a soft headband, with a round face and clear eyebrows. The layout of blowing holes on the top of the head and sound holes on both sides of the cheekbones is exquisite; The three ghost headed xun stands with sunken ears and a furrowed face, bulging eyes and furrowed brows. Its high nose and wide mouth exude a hint of ferocity, and the layout of the blowing holes is identical to that of a human headed xun. These molded pottery xun, although small in size, embody the human face and the image of ghosts and gods in clay, serving as both musical instruments and vivid slices of Tang Dynasty plastic arts. The back of a Qing Dynasty frost red qin, which has been polished over time, features rectangular dragon pools and phoenix marshes, with concave long grooves for sound absorption and hidden acoustic ingenuity. Above the Dragon Pool, the two characters "Shuanghong" in seal script are quaint and vigorous; The small ink characters on the edge of Longchi indicate the author and era, adding a touch of elegance to the collection of literati. When fingertips lightly tap the surface of the piano, a clear and smooth tone flows out. There are classic ethnic musical instruments in the exhibition. A simple and antique shaped plucked string instrument resembling a gourd water ladle with a long handle. As a stringed instrument of the Uyghur and Uzbek ethnic groups, it has a wide vocal range, crisp sound, and rich ethnic style. It is one of the main instruments used to play the classical music "Twelve Muqam". A small Tob Xiu Er with a simple yet beautiful design, with lines resembling galloping horses and soaring eagles on the grassland, is widely circulated among the Mongolian people in Xinjiang due to its ease of carrying. Lightly plucking the strings, the beautiful and rich melody is like pastoral songs on the grassland, pure and ethereal, reaching straight to the heart. It complements the life of nomadic people who live by water and grass, becoming an indispensable spiritual comfort in their daily lives. From the ancient clear sound of the Jiahu bone flute to the harmonious ringing of the Caihou Shenniu bell, from the simple rhythm of the pottery drum to the literary elegance of the Shuanghong qin, more than 200 musical instruments interweave not only the 8000 year long development of Chinese music, but also the harmonious symphony of Chinese culture. We hope that the audience can understand the evolution history of ancient musical instruments through the exhibition, especially the rich cultural connotations contained therein, feel the unique charm of excellent traditional Chinese music art, and touch the development context of Chinese traditional culture, "said Zhuge Yingliang. (New Society)