Editing Chinese culture (section)

== Music, instruments and dancing ==
{{Main|Music of China|List of Chinese musical instruments|Dance of China}}

[[File:YEAR OF THE MONKEY IN DUBLIN (CHINESE POETRY ON THE DART TO CELEBRATE THE NEW CHINESE YEAR)-111425 (24150640974).jpg|thumb|[[Guzheng]], a type of Chinese instrument.]]

Music and dance were closely associated in the very early periods of China.  The [[music]] of China dates back to the [[History of China|dawn of Chinese civilization]] with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the [[Zhou dynasty]] (1122 BCE – 256 BCE).  The earliest music of the Zhou dynasty recorded in ancient Chinese texts includes the ritual music called ''[[yayue]]'' and each piece may be associated with a dance. Some of the oldest written music dates back to [[Confucius]]'s time.  The first major well-documented flowering of Chinese music was exemplified through the popularization of the [[Guqin|''qin'']] (plucked instrument with seven strings) during the [[Tang dynasty]], although the instrument is known to have played a major role before the Han dynasty.

[[File:Bianlian.JPG|thumb|left|[[Bian Lian]]("Face-Changing") Performer]]

There are many [[musical instrument]]s that are integral to Chinese culture, such as the [[Xun (instrument)|Xun]] ([[Ocarina]]-type instrument that is also integral in Native American cultures), [[Guzheng]] (zither with movable bridges), [[guqin]] (bridgeless zither), [[sheng (instrument)|sheng]] and [[xiao (flute)|xiao]] (vertical flute), the [[erhu]] (alto fiddle or bowed lute), [[pipa]] (pear-shaped plucked lute), and many others.

Dance in China is a highly varied art form, consisting of many modern and traditional dance genres. The dances cover a wide range, from folk dances to performances in opera and ballet, and may be used in public celebrations, rituals and ceremonies. There are also 56 officially recognized [[List of ethnic groups in China|ethnic groups in China]], and each ethnic minority group in China also has its own folk dances. The best known Chinese dances today are the [[Dragon dance]] and the [[Lion Dance]].