Event Recap | Highlights from the 2025 International Museum Day Series of Events on May 18

Ancient rites and music: The Book of Rites records that “a scholar does not lay aside his qin and se without cause,” while the story of Boya and Ziqi, with their “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” established the qin as a symbol of kindred spirits. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, Ji Kang’s “Ode to the Qin” and the legendary “Guangling Melody,” now lost to time, further cemented the qin’s association with the noble spirit of the learned scholar.

Theoretical maturation: During the Tang dynasty, Cao Rou invented the jianzi pu; in the Song dynasty, collections of qin scores such as the Taigu Yinyin were published, and the aesthetic ideals of the guqin—“clear, subtle, serene, and distant”—were firmly established. Zhu Changwen’s Qin Shi further systematized the study of the qin.

Cultivation of the self: The sound of the qin is regarded as “an instrument for taming the mind” (as stated by Fan Zhongyan). Literati use the qin to quell restlessness and attain inner stillness, and the qin table is often placed alongside the writing desk, together forming the spiritual space of the study.

Origins of religion: During the Six Dynasties, flowers were offered before Buddhist images (as recorded in the “Southern History” under the term “bottle flowers”). In the Tang dynasty, court floral arrangements were sumptuous and opulent, and Luo Qiu’s “Nine Honors for Flowers” marked the first systematic treatise on flower appreciation.

The Scholarly Paradigm: During the Song Dynasty, scholar-artists favored simple, unadorned flower arrangements and championed “conceptual flowers,” selecting symbolic plants such as plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Yuan Hongdao’s “Bottle Records” advanced the principle that “tea appreciation is supreme,” thereby integrating flower arranging with the tea ceremony.

Spatial Aesthetics: Vase design favors plain stoneware with an antique bronze finish, while composition adheres to the principle of “a tight base and a clean mouth.” Flower arranging, in tandem with garden design and bonsai art, forms a microcosm of nature.

Origins: Chinese tea culture dates back to the Han dynasty, but it was not until the Tang dynasty that a refined literary tea ceremony took shape. Lu Yu’s “The Classic of Tea” provided a systematic overview of all aspects of tea, and during the Tang period, the method of brewing powdered tea—made by grinding tea cakes into fine powder and then boiling it in water—became widespread.

Prosperity: During the Song dynasty, the tea‑whisking method became mainstream; Cai Xiang’s “Tea Record” and Emperor Huizong of Song’s “Great View on Tea” both provide detailed accounts of the whisking technique, with the ideal tea broth prized for its “snow‑like froth and milky blossoms.” Literary figures engaged in tea competitions and the art of “tea‑divination” (cha bai xi), while tea culture increasingly intertwined with poetry, calligraphy, and painting.

Zen-inspired: Monastic tea ceremonies and Zen philosophy converge, with literati using tea to cultivate the mind, making the tea gathering the heart of refined assemblies.