[Traveling Along Yangtze River in Hubei] How Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng Surprises the World?

Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng [Photo via Hubei Provincial Museum]

In 1978, archaeologists carried out a rescue excavation of a tomb from the early Warring States period in Suizhou, Hubei.

The bronze bells known collectively as "Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng" immediately amazed the world as soon as they were unearthed. The bells were found suspended although they had been buried underground for more than 2,400 years. The set consists of 65 bells in total, making it the one with the largest number of bells among all the sets unearthed so far in China. It is also the best preserved and most magnificent one. The bells are arranged in eight groups and three levels, suspended on a frame which is 748 centimeters long and 265 centimeters high, with a total weight of more than 5,000 kilograms. These bells are made of copper, tin and lead, with several techniques such as round carving, relief carving and inscription adopted during their production process. The surface of each bell is engraved with patterns of humans, animals, dragons, flowers and geometric figures, as well as inscriptions that indicate the tones presented by the bell.

The excavation of Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng has shown to the world the superb bronze casting techniques of ancient China. The set also represents the extremely high achievements of China's Pre-Qin civilization characterized by rituals and music. Besides seven basic tones, the set of bells also produces 12 semitones, in accordance with the concept of "equal temperament". Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng was produced almost 2,000 years before the appearance of the first batches of European equal-temperament keyboard instruments. In terms of musical range, Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng has five and a half octaves. According to acoustic experts, the tuning frequency of this set of bells is 256.4 Hz, almost exactly the same as the central "C" frequency on the piano.

The discovery of Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng proves that a series of difficult problems relevant to the phenomenon of "one bell can sound two tones" in physics, musicology and foundry science have been successfully solved in Chinese history. The set of bells has become a precious heritage item in the treasure repository of human history and culture.