Drawing inspiration from ancient artifacts

"Imagine the anticipation as you approach an exhibit dedicated to ancient civilizations. It's a moment akin to hearing the opening chords of a favorite melody," says singer-songwriter Liu Lian, when asked about her recent visit to Henan Museum in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province.

"It's just like the songs of your favorite singer that you've listened to hundreds of times. The artifacts, once distant images in textbooks, are now right in front of you in tangible form," she adds. "Each visit to a museum unfolds like a song, with artifacts resonating like familiar tunes, stirring memories and emotions."

The 34-year-old, who rose to fame as one of the members of the pop duo, Mr Miss, graduated from the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, in 2012.

Despite her career in music, Liu says that she has always enjoyed visiting museums around the world and is enchanted by artifacts from thousands of years ago.

While at the Henan Museum, she saw the Jiahu bone flute. Unearthed from Jiahu Site in Wuyang county, Henan, it is one of the most spectacular objects in the museum's collection, and attracts lots of visitors.

The introduction that guides from the museum gave her about the bone flute was intriguing. They said that about 8,700 years ago, a red-crowned crane died and one of the bones from its wing was turned into a flute by drilling holes in it to make music.

When Liu was invited to a live performance of the Huaxia Ancient Music Orchestra, the museum's resident ensemble, which is known for reviving ancient musical traditions and which performs using 10 replicas of ancient musical instruments from the museum, she was able to hear a duplicate of the Jiahu flute in action.

"Like many other artifacts in the museum, these silent objects speak volumes about the lives lived centuries ago. Thanks to the orchestra and the people who replicated ancient musical instruments, we are able to enjoy the sound of instruments from thousands of years ago, which is a magical experience," she says.

"Much like a masterful conductor interpreting Mozart or Beethoven, historians and curators meticulously present these artifacts to resonate with visitors, turning the museum visit into an immersive experience, and reconnecting us with icons of history in a profoundly personal manner," she adds. "I couldn't help wondering who originally played those instruments, and when, where, and who they played for."

Besides the Jiahu flute, Liu also enjoyed performances on other ancient replicas, such as a drum and a panpipe. Even more exciting for her was the opportunity to play a set of replica bianzhong (bronze chime bells) from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

Standing in front of the bianzhong, which were hanging from a wooden frame, Liu struck them with a wooden mallet. Under the guidance of Huo Kun, head of the orchestra, she quickly learned how to play simple notes, with each bell producing two different tones depending on where they are struck.

She was also told that the bianzhong, which were used as polyphonic instruments, were an important part of Chinese ritual and court music going back to ancient times. To make their performances more attractive to young people, the orchestra has adapted popular songs, including from Harry Potter soundtracks. This prompted Liu to play some of her songs on the instrument.

"It was so inspiring. Seeing these artifacts up close in the museum, admiring their craftsmanship, and pondering the lives of those who made and used them offered me a deeper understanding of history's multifaceted tapestry. Now, I want to record the sound of them to use in my own work," Liu says. "It will be a beautiful combination, and will allow more people to enjoy sounds that are ancient, and yet still charming."

She also says that the visit to Henan Museum reminded her of university, when her teacher would take the class on field trips to experience excavations firsthand and make records of archaeological sites.