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{{Short description|Ancient Chinese musical instrument}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox Chinese
|title='''Bianzhong'''
|pic=Bianzhong.jpg
|piccap=[[Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng]], dated 433 BC
|s={{linktext|编钟}}
|t={{linktext|編鐘}}
|p=biānzhōng
|w=pian<sup>1</sup>-chung<sup>1</sup>
|j=pin1-zung1
|y=pīn jūng
|poj=pian-tsing
|hangul=편종
|hanja={{linktext|編|鐘}}
|rr=pyeonjong
|mr=p'yŏnjong
}}
'''''Bianzhong''''' ({{linktext|編鐘}}) ({{audio|Bianzhong Pronunciation.wav|pronunciation}}) is an [[ancient China|ancient Chinese]] [[List of traditional Chinese musical instruments|musical instrument]] consisting of a set of [[bronze]] bells, played melodically. China is the earliest country to manufacture and use musical chimes. They are also called '''chime bells'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA4NDU2NDAzNA==&mid=2651627306&idx=1&sn=e7e3eec3e8cac0e985a84f38c6d31689&chksm=841d7e07b36af711c4145f7399e62c6d7d73d08fc887bf9be21cc227f50fc0e620b2a5b6e96c&mpshare=1&scene=1&srcid=0712MX607WPLPyuEGm02AHW3#rd|title=The introduction to Hubei|website=Wechat}}</ref> These sets of chime bells were used as polyphonic musical instruments and some of these bells have been dated at between 2,000 and 3,600 years old. They were hung in a wooden frame and struck with a mallet. Using a wooden hammer and a rod to beat the bronze bell can make different pitch. Along with the stone chimes called ''[[bianqing]]'', they were an important instrument in China's ritual and court music going back to ancient times.

Several sets of ''bianzhong'' were imported to the [[Korea]]n court during the [[Song dynasty]]. Pronounced in Korean as ''pyeonjong'', the instrument became an important part in Korea's ritual and court music and is still in use. In Vietnam, the instrument, which was used in ceremonies in the court at [[Huế]], is called ''biên chung''. The instrument's name is pronounced ''henshō'' in Japanese.

== History ==
[[File:天星观二号楚墓编钟.jpg|thumb|Set of ''bianzhong'' unearthed from Tianxingguan Tomb No. 2 near [[Jingzhou]], 4th century BC]] 
While the oldest clapperless bells in China date to as early as 2100 BCE, the organization of ''zhong'' bells into ''bianzhong'' (literally "arranged ''zhong''"<ref name=":0" />) developed in the [[Zhou dynasty]] (1046–256 BCE).<ref name=":1" /> ''Bianzhong'' from this era had varied numbers of individual ''zhong'' (between 13 and 64), each of which could produce two distinct pitches and were suspended obliquely or vertically.<ref name=":0" /> In ancient China, the chime was a special instrument for upper-class people and it was a symbol of power and wealth. In one set from this time period, the biggest bell was 153.4 centimeters (60.4&nbsp;in) in height and weighed 203.6 kilograms (449 lb), while the smallest bell was 20.4 centimeters (8.0&nbsp;in) in height and weighed 2.4 kilograms (5.3 lb).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comuseum.com/arts/zhou-zenghouyi-bianzhong/|title=Zhou: Zenghouyi Bianzhong: Chinese Arts.|website=China Online Museum|access-date=27 September 2019}}</ref>

The instrument's construction shifted dramatically in the [[Qin dynasty|Qin]] and [[Tang dynasty|Tang dynasties]] (221 BC – 907 CE). ''Bianzhong'' decreased in size during this period, being limited to sets of 14, 16, and 24 bells.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/art/zhong#ref892123|title=Zhong|date=September 28, 2006|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref> Due to differences in bell construction, each ''zhong'' produced only one pitch. These ''bianzhong'' were tuned either to a seven-note scale or in twelve semitones.<ref name=":2" />

Musicians standardized ''bianzhong'' construction and ritual performance by the end of the [[Song dynasty]] (960–1279 CE).<ref name=":1" /> Typical instruments from this period consisted of 16 bells suspended vertically in a two-tiered frame.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Through the [[Qing dynasty]] (1644–1911 CE) into the modern day, this construction of ''bianzhong'' remained standard.<ref name=":1" /> Since the rediscovery of Zhou-dynasty ''bianzhong'' by archaeologists in 1978, there has been a revitalization of the performance and construction of that form of the instrument.<ref name=":2" /> Modern historical-performance ensembles (such as the Hubei Song and Dance Ensemble) have been performing on reconstructions of Zhou-dynasty ''bianzhong'' nationally and internationally since the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Sid|date=Jan 5, 1989|title=Sound of Ancient China Has a Ring to It|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-01-05-8902220922-story.html|access-date=2019-09-24|website=Chicago Tribune|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Melvin|first=Sheila|date=April 4, 2000|title=The Chimes of Ancient China|language=en|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/01/style/IHT-the-chimes-of-ancient-china.html|access-date=2019-09-24}}</ref>

In the modern day, [[Confucianism|Confucian]] ritual celebrations in Korea still utilizes ''bianzhong''. The instrument's role is to lead the orchestra (doubling the melody of the winds and strings), while larger bells punctuate hymn phrases.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A List of the Musical and Other Sound-Producing Instruments of the Chinese|last=Moule|first=Arthur|publisher=Frits Knuf Publishers|year=1989|isbn=90-6027-554-3|location=Buren|pages=40}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> [[File:PyeonjongIMG 6163.JPG|thumb|Korean ''pyeonjong'' – Confucian ritual at Munmyo Shrine, Sungkyunkwan ''seowon'']]
[[File:Wuhanbells.jpg|right|thumb|Close-up of the ''bianzhong'' of [[Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng|Marquis Yi of Zeng]]]]

== Structure ==
The ''bianzhong'' was part of a larger category of ancient Chinese bells referred to as a ''zhong''. This is defined by a leaf-shaped cross-section, concave mouth (or rim) and an overall shape expands slightly from top to bottom.<ref name=":1" /> All sets of ''bianzhong'' were suspended together in a wooden frame, but how they were suspended can differ. The most common type of suspension in the ''zhong'' family is when the bell has an elongated handle with a small ring at its base and is then hung at a diagonal angle. Some ''bianzhong'' have been found to be suspended vertically by a loop, but this is found less frequently. Each ''bianzhong'' has the same thickness, which means that the pitch is determined by size.
<ref name=":1" />

The general range of ''bianzhong'' height is {{convert|15|-|40|cm}}; however, archaeologists have discovered some that are as small as {{convert|9|cm}} and as large as {{convert|153|cm}}.<ref name=":1" /> Individual ''bianzhong'' usually have many decorative features; these could include raised rectangular ribs, repetitive claw-like (or horn-like) designs, and protrusions in clusters (typically four clusters).<ref name=":1" />

==Archaeology==
Among the most important sets of ''bianzhong'' discovered are a [[Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng|complete ceremonial set of 65 ''zhong'' bells]], found in a near-perfect state of preservation during the excavation of the tomb of [[Marquis Yi]], who died c. 430 BCE.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/archae/tmarmain.htm|title=Warring States Tomb of Marquis Yi|website=Depts.washington.edu|access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> Yi was the ruler of [[Zeng (state)|Zeng]], one of the minor states under control of the major [[Chu (state)|State of Chu]]. This region is now part of the present-day [[Hubei province]]. The instrument is currently on display at the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, China. It under protection by the government as an esteemed cultural relic, and has been performed on three times since its excavation in 1978, the most recent being for the Hong Kong Reunification ceremony in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.muheportfolio.com/bianzhong|title=Redesign of BianZhong museum exhibition in an interactive and engaging way|last=Yuan|first=Meng|date=September–December 2018|access-date=27 September 2019|archive-date=25 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925043106/https://www.muheportfolio.com/bianzhong|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Although tuned bells have been created and used for musical performance in many cultures, ''zhong'' are unique among all other types of cast bells in several respects. They have a [[lens (geometry)|lens]]-shaped (rather than circular) section, the bell mouth has a distinctive "cutaway" profile, and the outer surfaces of the large bells feature 36 studs or bosses, symmetrically placed around the body in four groups of nine. This special shape gives ''zhong'' bells the remarkable ability to produce two different musical tones,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://w1.570.telia.com/~u57011259/Zengbells.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629070856/http://w1.570.telia.com/~u57011259/Zengbells.htm|archive-date=June 29, 2008|first=Martin|last= Braun|title=Bell tuning in ancient China: a six-tone scale in a 12-tone system based on fifths and thirds|date=June 16, 2003}}</ref> depending on where they are struck. Striking the center of the bell produces the primary tone, while the left or right corners produce a secondary pitch either a [[major third|major]] or [[minor third]] higher, equivalent to a distance of four or five notes on a piano.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Alan|last1=Thorne|first2=Robert|last2=Raymond|title=Man On The Rim: The Peopling of the Pacific|publisher=ABC Books|year=1989|pages=166–167}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Chinese Musical Instruments|last=Thrasher|first=Alan|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2000|isbn=019-590777-9|location=Hong Kong|pages=6–12}}</ref>

The bells of Marquis Yi cover a range of five octaves, and are fully chromatic in the central three octaves.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000045376|title=Grove Music Online|last=Thrasher|first=Alan R.|date=January 20, 2001|via=Oxford Music Online|doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.45376 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 |access-date=September 21, 2019}}</ref> The set—still in playable condition after almost 2,500 years—is able to produce both [[diatonic]] and [[pentatonic]] scales.<ref>[http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/30Arts391.html Cultural China website – "Bronze Chime Bells of Marquis Yi"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203021322/http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/30Arts391.html |date=2011-02-03 }}.</ref>
[[File:VM 4733 Hubei Provincial Museum - bianzhong set.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng|Marquis Yi]] ''bianzhong'' on display in the [[Hubei Provincial Museum]]]]
[[File:Zhong Bell from Spring and autumn period.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Bronze Zhong Bell from Spring and Autumn period; excavated in 1978 from the storage pit in Taigongmiao village, Baoji city, Shaanxi province]]The ''bianzhong'' chimes of Marquis Yi are mounted on intersecting racks set at 90 degrees to each other, consisting of two pairs of massive wooden beams, with three smaller beams (carrying the highest bells) mounted on top of the upper beams. The beams are separated and supported at their ends and intersections by six bronze human figurines with upraised arms and wearing swords; the upper three figures are slightly smaller than the lower, which are cast on their own elaborately decorated bronze pedestals. The ends and intersection of each pair of beams are fitted with decorated bronze caps and front part of the brackets supporting the largest bells are cast in the shape of animals. The longer pair of main beams are provided with extra support in the middle in the form of two slender bronze columns.[[File:VM 4737 Hubei Provincial Museum - bianzhong performance.jpg|thumb|Musicians performing on a modern replica of Marquis Yi's bell set in [[Hubei Provincial Museum]]]]
In 1992, [[Ma Chengyuan]], director of the [[Shanghai Museum]], purchased the 3,000-year-old Jin Hou Su ''bianzhong'' (晉侯穌鐘) from the Hong Kong antique market. The bells had been looted from the tombs of the rulers of the [[Jin (Chinese state)|State of Jin]] and smuggled out of China. The bells are now listed by the Chinese government as one of the first 64 [[List of Chinese cultural relics forbidden to be exhibited abroad|national treasures forbidden to be exhibited abroad]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nlc.gov.cn/newgtkj/hxyz/qtq/201109/t20110920_51448.htm |script-title=zh:晋侯稣钟 |trans-title=Jin Hou Su bells |publisher=National Library of China |language=zh |access-date=14 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910022538/http://www.nlc.gov.cn/newgtkj/hxyz/qtq/201109/t20110920_51448.htm |archive-date=10 September 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Jinhousu Bianzhong.JPG|thumb|right|The Jin Hou Su ''bianzhong'' in the [[Shanghai Museum]]]]These bells usually have inscriptions on them from which scholars use as references for studying ancient Chinese writings (also known as [[Bronzeware script]]). Another related ancient Chinese musical instrument is the ''[[bianqing]]'', which was made of stone rather than metal.
[[File:Salle du musée dart oriental (Venise) (6175354053).jpg|thumb|A collection of various [[Chinese ceramics|porcelain]] wares from the [[Kangxi Emperor|Kangxi]] reign (1661–1722) of the [[Qing dynasty]]. A porcelain ''bianzhong'' is seen on the top middle.]]

==See also==
*[[Bianqing]]
*[[Traditional Chinese musical instruments]]
*[[Traditional Korean musical instruments]]
*[[Carillon]], a western multi-bell instrument where the bells have clappers

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==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Lee, Yuan-Yuan and Shen, Sinyan. (1999). ''Chinese Musical Instruments (Chinese Music Monograph Series)''. Chinese Music Society of North America Press. {{ISBN|1-880464-03-9}}
*Shen, Sinyan (1987), Acoustics of Ancient Chinese Bells, ''Scientific American'', 256, 94.
*von Falkenhausen, Lothar. (1993). ''Suspended music: chime-bells in the culture of Bronze Age China''. University of California Press.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bianzhong}}
*[http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1676.htm Ancient Chinese Bells]
*[http://www.neuroscience-of-music.se/Zengbells.htm Six-tone scale in a 12-tone system]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150608125431/http://resources.edb.gov.hk/musiceb/english/Instrument/chinese/bianzhong/video/video_2.htm Bianzhong video] from The Musical Instruments E-book (Archive copy)

{{Chinese bronzeware}}
{{Traditional Chinese musical instruments}}
{{Bells}}

[[Category:Bells (percussion)]]
[[Category:Chinese bronzeware]]
[[Category:Chinese inventions]]
[[Category:Chinese musical instruments]]
[[Category:Korean musical instruments]]