2009 Way of the Qin

This summer I taught historically informed guqin performance in the study tour of China described by the brochure linked at right. In addition to guqin instruction the tour included guqin performances, meetings with local guqin clubs, sightseeing and mountain hiking. The itinerary is:

16 - 19 July: Beijing (Performances 17th at Rushi Shanfang ² and 18th at Tempo Art Centre ³)
20 - 29 July: Wudangshan (武當山, Daoist mountain temple in Hubei province⁴)
30 - 31 July: Hangzhou (meetings with the Xihu Qin She⁵ and Xiaying Qin Guan⁶
1 - 2 August: Suzhou (events organized by Wang Duo⁷
2 - 4 August: Nanjing (events organized by Liu Yan⁸
4 - 6 August: Beijing⁹

A Google map of this itinerary is available online.¹⁰

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 16 July was the starting date in China. The tour was organized by Dr. Alexander Khalil, alexkhalil@gmail.com.
(Return)

2. Rushi Shanfang 如是山房 (安定門東大街 Anding Men Dong Dajie #58)
This event featured myself, Alex and 如山 Rushan (賈瑀鉉 Ka Woo Hyun, from Korea but for many years based in Beijing), who was the other featured teacher on the tour. As of 9 July 2009 the Rushi Shanfang blog site had a poster of this event, together with listings of other events and a recording by an unidentified guqin player. Their website has no map, only a description giving the address and saying they are about 200 meters west of Exit A at the Yonghe Gong stop on subway line 5 （地鐵5號線雍和宮站A出口向西約200米). Tel ☎（010）64025766.
(Return)

3. Tempo Art Centre (坦博北京藝術中心 Tanbo Beijing Yishu Zhongxin)
The map (downloaded from the internet; see also images) shows it (address: 西杏石口路 West Xingshikou Road 甲30#) to be west of the 四季青橋 Siji Qing Bridge, an overpass along a northern part of Fourth Ring Road West. The building is apparently also called 坦博艺苑，又叫徽园, the latter coming from 徽園大祠堂, its name when it belonged to a wealthy Anhui merchant. Perhaps 300 years old, it was imported from Anhui to Beijing before the Olympics and turned into an art studio and performance center.
(Return)

4. Wudang Shan (武當山) Activities
Our Wudang Shan activities centered around 紫霄宮 Zixiao Gong.
(Return)

5. Xihu Qishe 西湖琴社
See website. Head: 徐君躍 Xu Junyue.
(Return)

6. Xiaying Qin Guan 霞影琴館 (also called Xiaying Qin She 霞影琴社)
See website. Head: 徐曉英 Xu Xiaoying.
(Return)

7. Suzhou events
Organized by 汪鐸 Wang Duo at 天闕會 Tianque Hui, a new center within the 蘇州太湖國家旅遊度假區 Suzhou Taihu National Tourism and Vacation Zone (環湖大道199號); the activities focused on silk strings and reconstructions from Xilutang Qintong.

汪鐸 Wang Duo (1938 - ; further details)
Wang Duo has been particularly well-known for his advocacy of silk strings for guqin, and also has been very active reconstructing melodies from old tablature. He has lectured and performed extenstively in China and overseas.
(Return)

8. Nanjing Activities
Meetings with the 金陵琴社 Jinling Qin Club (Head: 劉正春 Liu Zhengchun) and the 幽蘭琴社 Youlan Qin Club (Head: 馬傑 Ma Jie).
(Return)

9. Beijing activities, part 2
Finding people to comment on my new qin with a piezo pickup.
(Return)

10. Map of the tour
The map first loads without the itinerary - you may have to wait a bit longer for the itinerary itself to load.
(Return)

Return to top