You asked about music. I'm not a musician, but I like music very much especially Chinese classical music, such as the pieces "Liang2 zhu4" and "Gao1 shan1 liu2 shui3". "Liang zhu4" is played by violin while "Gao shan liu shui" is played by zheng (a Chinese zither with 25 strings). Both of them are tragedies of love. Have you ever heard of them before?

"Liangzhu" is the abbreviation of two names, of a boy and a girl. The boy's name is Liang2 shan1 bo2, while the girl is Zhu4 ying1 tai2. Miss zhu4 was born into a rich family, but she couldn't go to school at that time however how rich she was. Only boys could go to school in ancient times. So Miss Zhu decided to pretend to be a boy and went to school. She met Liangshanbo there and loved him. But all the people at school regarded Zhu as a boy including Liangshanbo. They became good friends. After three years, they graduated from the school together and would be separated from each other. The melody of the story just describes their farewell. Zhu told the truth to Liang, and they arranged to be married in two months time. But when Zhu ying tai went home, she learned that her father had married her to the son of a rich man without her permission. Zhu refused and was place in confinement. When the son came to her house to receive her, she smashed herself against the wall and died, because she loved Liang deeply.

Two months later, Liang went to Zhu's place as scheduled. He was filled with deep sorrow at the news of her death. He killed himself in front of Zhu's tomb. The people there were moved by their love story and buried them together.From that time on, it could always be seen two butterflies flew out of the tomb, flying closely together. People all thought the two butterflies were incarnations of Zhu and Liang. The melody of the story is somewhat sad. It is well-known in Chinese, and it has also been played by several instrumental groups around the world.Have you ever heard of it?

As for other kinds of music, well we hear news about music mostly from radio, TV and newspapers. Almost all the broadcasting stations and newspapers have set up a special column for music. Most young people prefer to have a walkman to listen to music, because it's very cheap and portable. When I go home from the office, I enjoy appreciating CDs from sound-surround speakers instead, because the acoustics are much better than listening to a walkman.

I think that for young people the best place to hear music in Wuhan is in bars and discos.We chat in bars, listening to the light music over a cup of tea, and we dance in discos, enjoying the rock music. Older people prefer the theaters to listen to some folk songs and drama. I'm not interested in local singers. I 'm fond of singers and bands from Europe, America and some from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

yours, rebecca

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Thor learns a little more ..

I asked HB to tell me his version of the stories which go with "Liang2 zhu4" and "Gao1 shan1 liu2 shui3". These are ancient folk tales, passed by word of mouth in many versions, and told by traveling players from town to town.

HB's story of Liangzhu was rather different from Rebecca's. In this other interpretation (which has also been made into a film) Zhu Yingtai's father allows her to go away to a school disguised as a boy, even though girls at that time could not be educated. In the school she shares life intimately with another boy, Liang Shanbo, even sharing the same bed, as was the custom. Eventually the school master's wife realizes that Zhu Yingtai is a girl, but decides to stay silent because she likes her. Just to make sure that there is no funny business going on, she steals into their sleeping quarters during the night and places a small bowl of water under the bed covers, between the sleeping couple. Then very early in the morning, she returns to find the bowl undisturbed, and concludes that this is a friendship of innocents. Liang Shanbo has no idea that he is sleeping with a girl.

After several years, a messenger suddenly arrives at the school, with instructions that Zhu Yingtai is to return home immediately. The school master's wife, intercepts the message. She realizes that Zhu Yingtai is to be married and will never return again. Out of compassion, she allows Liang Shanbo to travel part way on the journey with Zhu Yingtai, before they make their farewells. Zhu Yingtai in fact has fallen deeply in love with Liang Shanbo, but knows that it would be utterly unbecoming to reveal her sex. On the journey she tries in many ways to suggest the truth obliquely to Liang Shanbo, but he never grasps her deeper meaning. At last they come to a temple where final farewells must be made. They go to make offerings together, and Zhu Yingtai proposes that they be bound as brothers. The implications still escape Liang Shanbo. At last, Zhu Yingtai says that s/he has a sister, very like herself whose marriage to Liang Shanbo she will arrange.

Some time later, Liang Shanbo takes advantage of a school vacation to make the journey to Zhu Yingtai's father's house. Expecting to be introduced to Zhu Yingtai's sister as a future bride, he is devastated when Zhu Yingtai tearfully admits her sex, and her love for him. Worse, she is duty bound and has agreed to marry a rich man's son. Liang Shanbo departs, completely shattered. The loss prays upon his mind, his health deteriorates, and he dies of a broken heart.

Zhu Yingtai grimly proceeds with her marriage arrangements. The sedan chair carriers arrive to take her off to her new husband's house. She strikes a desperate bargain, agreeing to go only on condition that she can make a last farewell at the grave side of Liang Shanbo. When the wedding party arrives at the grave side, Zhu Yingtai suddenly steps from her sedan chair, resplendent in her red bridal gown. She rushes to the grave, and wrenches the bridal gown from her breast. Beneath, she is clothed in the mourning clothes of white. The grave abruptly opens, she falls into it, and the chasm closes again before anyone else in the party can do a thing. A short while later, two gorgeous butterflies arise from the ground, and fly off together into the forest.

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The story of Gao1 shan1 liu2 shui3 is even older, at least two thousand years old, but closely associated with this city, Wuhan, since it takes place at Gui1 Shan, just on the Han Yang side of the big Changjian bridge. Nowadays the place is desecrated with a crowning TV tower, but mementos of history remain scattered through the scrub which still covers the hill.

Zhi Yin - a tale about Gao Shan Liu Shui

Long, long ago, an officer, Yu2 Bo2ya2, was sent by his king on a mission to another land. This was before China became united. On his journey, Yu Boya came to a spot near the mouth of the Han River, where it joins the Chanjiang (Yangtze River). Feeling weary, he bought his boat to land at the foot of a hill called Gui Shan. Yu Boya was musically talented, and to relax he took out his gu3qi2n, a seven stringed zither, and began to play. Presently a young wood cutter emerged from the forest, and stood modestly, but spellbound near the player. Yu Boya noticed him, and asked if he understood the music. "It seems", sighed the wood cutter, who was named Zho1ng Zi3yi1n, "that water is tumbling in the mountains". Yu Boya continued to play. "And it seems now", said Zhong Ziyin, "that a stream has flowed down to the plains." It was a very complex composition, written by Yu Boya himself, and named "Gao1 shan1 liu2 shui3" "Falling Water from the Mountains", so he was hugely impressed by the wood cutter's intuitive grasp of his meaning. An instant bond was formed, they became firm friends. Before Yu Boya departed the two new friends agreed to meet again at this same spot, several months hence.

Yu Boya completed his embassy, and on the return journey came again to the foot of Gui Shan. Zhong Ziyin however, did not come to meet him as arranged. Yu Boya was upset by this and searched for news of him among the local villagers. At last he was told that Zhong Ziyin had contracted an illness, and being very poor had been unable to buy medicine. He had died. Yu Boya, desolated by the loss of Zhong Ziyin, sat down again with his zither to play a requiem. So this story is known as "Zhi1 Yi1n", which not only celebrates the young wood cutter, but also means "understanding music", as well as "heart to heart" and "bosom friends".