Harmony Between Man and Nature is the Highest Goal of Chinese Traditional Music

Traditional Chinese culture comes from rural civilization, focusing on the harmony of nature,the harmony between human beings and nature,the harmony between human beings and society,the harmony between human beings,and the harmony between the body and heart of human beings.According to mainstream Chinese traditional thoughts,the lives of human beings are in coordination and unity with other lives in the universe,mneaning they are in harmony with each other. Hui Shi, who was the first to have such an idea,said that,"Human beings should treat natural lives in an equal way, because they are closely linked with each other."

Harmony between human beings and nature was the highest goal of the ancient sages.As soon as it was created,Chinese music has adopted nature as its first theme.The famous guqin song Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water makes people think about high mountains and flowing waters.However, its simulation to the nature is quite different from that in western music. In Lofty Mountains and Flowoing Water,the mountains and water have been integrated with people so that it can reveal people's emotions. The same concept can be reflected in the landscape paintings and poems of ancient China.Since humans are in harmony with nature,they have become a part of nature,rather than a spectator or an appreciator. In this way,the concept of "harmony between human beings and nature" is reflected in music.

In fact,most traditional Chinese songs, including Spring River and Flowers at the Moonlit Night(Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye),Fishermen Singing at Dusk(Yu Zhou Chang War),Wild Geese over the Clam Sands and Three Variations of Plum Blossoms,Autumn Moon over the calm Lake(Ping Hu Qiu Yue)and The Moon Reflected on the Er-quan Spring (Er Quan Ying Yue),don't only aim to describe natural scenes. They are all examples ofharmony between human beings and nature in music.