The spirit of literati - the core essence of the art and culture of the Chinese guqin
Time: May 21, 2025, 18:30
地点：费A-202
Venue: Room 202, Feiyimin Building A, Gulou Campus, Nanjing University
Speaker: Qin Xu, Research Fellow and Doctoral Supervisor at the Institute of Music, Chinese National Academy of Arts.
Moderator: Chen Xinkun, Distinguished Professor of aesthetic education at the School of Arts, Nanjing University.
Content Summary:
This lecture will focus on the core spiritual essence of the art and culture of the Chinese guqin. As an instrument uniquely associated with the scholar-official class, the guqin has long served as both a vessel and symbol of the spirit of literati—a moral and intellectual exemplar in traditional Chinese thought. Guqin music, cherished across generations by literati and scholar-officials, was regarded not merely as art but as a spiritual companion in the quest to understand the mysteries of life and the cosmos. To achieve a comprehensive revival of Chinese culture, we must engage in more profound, holistic, and creative inheritance and innovative development of this vital spiritual tradition embedded in guqin music.
