VMFA Play It! Chinese Bells - Beyond The Walls Interactive
- Type: Classroom Activity
- Collection: East Asian Art
- Culture/Region: East Asia
- Subject Area: Fine Arts, History and Social Science, Music, Visual Arts
- Grade Level: K-12, college, adult, family
For thousands of years music has been an important part of Chinese culture, including religious and public ceremonies, scholarly pursuits, and entertainment. Bronze bells, called zhong in Chinese, were cast to produce two distinctly different tones. Hanging together from a wooden frame, the zhong were played by musicians in a seated or kneeling position striking the outside of each bell with a wooden mallet. In this section, make your own music in the style of ancient Chinese musicians. Touch virtual bells in the center and the side to hear two different sounds.
Launch Activity