Chinese Buddhist Temple Music

Chinese temples each have their own special style of music and these four beautiful, contemplative pieces are from the Beijing Zhi Hua Temple, built during the Ming dynasty in 1443. Zhi Hua Temple music developed from a combination of court, Buddhist temple and folk music, here played in its purity, on guanzi (oboe-like double reed wind instrument) and the sheng (free-reed mouth organ) with the addition of the pipa (lute).