Imperial Chinese Court Music (Yayue) in the Zhou–Han Period (c. 1046 BCE–220 CE)

1. Western Zhou ritual system shapes court music

   Jan 1, 1046 BCELabels: Western Zhou, rites li

   • Yayue
   • Britannica Zhou

2. Court hymns preserved in the Classic of Poetry

   Jan 1, 900 BCELabels: Classic of, Major Ya

   • Classic Poetry
   • Britannica Shijing

3. Spring and Autumn fragmentation weakens ritual music

   Jan 1, 770 BCELabels: Spring and, regional states

   • Britannica Spring
   • Yayue

4. Marquis Yi’s bell set shows elite ritual sound

   Jan 1, 433 BCELabels: Marquis Yi, bianzhong

   • UNESCO MoW
   • Marquis Yi

5. Confucian teaching frames “proper” vs popular music

   Jan 1, 400 BCELabels: Confucius, Analects

   • Analects
   • Yayue

6. Book of Rites describes roles for yayue

   Jan 1, 300 BCELabels: Book of, sacrificial music

   • Yayue
   • Britannica Liji

7. Qin unification carries Zhou ritual music forward

   Jan 1, 221 BCELabels: Qin dynasty, imperial unification

   • Qin Dynasty
   • Yayue

8. Early Han blends inherited Qin and regional songs

   Jan 1, 206 BCELabels: Early Han, Chu songs

   • ChinaKnowledge
   • Britannica Han

9. Han government expands the Music Bureau (Yuefu)

   Jan 1, 120 BCELabels: Yuefu, Emperor Wu

   • Britannica Yuefu
   • ChinaKnowledge

10. Emperor Wu’s sacrificial hymns formalize state offerings

    Jan 1, 110 BCELabels: Emperor Wu, sacrificial hymns

    • ChinaKnowledge
    • Britannica Yuefu

11. Han-era revisions mark change in yayue content

    Jan 1, 100Labels: Han dynasty, yayue ideal

    • Yayue
    • Britannica Han

12. Fall of the Han ends a unified imperial court

    Dec 11, 220Labels: Fall of, Emperor Xian

    • Emperor Xian
    • End of Han