Jiaochuang yeyü - "The night rain beats banana leaves"
Traditional Hakka tune, in a transcript of Luo Jiuxiang
This ancient melody in central China has been preserved by the Hakka ethnic group. The title dates back to the Song Dynasty, contained in a famous poem:
"The torment occupy my soul,
And yet I know not whence they emanate.
bursts of rain whipped the banana leaves outside my window throughout the night.
I got up in the morning,
I try to lighten my heart by a good make-up.
But, oh! I would better not even to touch my eyebrows,
As sadness crawls in my heart once more! "

Guangling fantasia - a famous ancient guqin tune, later transcribed by Wang Changyuan for guzheng solo. The original guqin solo was composed by the renowned scholar and guqin master, Ji Kang, one of the “seven gentlemen in the bamboo forest” in the Wei period (3rd century). It is said to recount a story in the epoch of the Warring States (around 3rd century B.C.) about Nie Zheng assassinating the King of the Han Kingdom to avenge the murder of his father. The entire piece is filled with overpowering momentum; the style is unique, expressing deep feelings with intense fight scenes. According to history, the composer, Ji Kang, who refused to serve the tyrant emperor Sima, was persecuted and finally killed by the order of the Emperor. Ji Kang performed this tune for his friends and faithful students on the site just before he was executed.

traditional guzheng music from Shandong province, east China with its slow rhythm and, through the use of the left hand skills of rubs, slides and pressing to a slow rhythm, this tune describes the miserable loneliness of the palace maidens, looking at the full moon while sinking into a resentful mood and longing for a return to their parents' homes.

Liu Fang guzheng solo

Title: Chanting of Tiema, composed by Zhao Dengshan on a classical Chinese guqin style, live recorded during the concert on March 27, 2002. The duration of the whole piece is about 6 minutes. The current video clip: 48 seconds, 1MB.

[Check Liu Fang's MySpace to download the whole piece]