Tri-colored Figurines of Musicians on Camelback

Elaborate and exquisite colors of this cultural relic make people feel cool and fresh in summer.

According to records, many musicians, singers and dancers from central Asia came to Chang’an during Tang Dynasty and stayed there.

Gaozu, the first Tang emperor, made Anchinu, a native of An state (now Bokhara in central Asia), one of his close aides. Cao Bao from Kebud* and his son and grandson became pipa players of high repute in Tang art circles.

During Emperor Xianzong’s reign, Mi Jiarong, a famous singer from Maimargh, gave command performances at the Tang court. During Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, the states of Samarkand and Kesh (now part of Uzbekistan) dispatched special envoys to present talented girl dancers to the Tang emperor.

Many musicians from southern and eastern Asia such as Biaoguo (an ancient state in the Irrawaddy Valley), Funan (an ancient state that is now part of Cambodia) and Japan also came to live in Chang’an, bringing with them exotic songs and musical instruments to enrich and diversify Chinese culture.

Copyright: A Journey into China’s Antiquity– Chinese History in Cultural Relics, Blossom Press

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