“The Hegemon-King Doffs His Armor” is a well-known piece of traditional military pipa music that depicts the battle of Gaixia. The protagonist of piece is Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of the Chu state. He is the loser of the battle, so the music is dull and tragic. The music emphasizes the heroic tragedy of Xiang Yu,…

All songs are composed and performed by Guohua Chen. The xiao is an ancient Chinese instrument thought to have developed from a simple end-blown flute used by the Qiang people of Southwest China during ancient times. In the oral traditions of the Xiao, practitioners and poets say its sound resembles the sweetness of the phoenix’s…

This piece depicts a traveler who discovers a hidden beautiful land during his journey. When he steps in, he is greeted by a vast expanse of mountains and rivers. There is a small number of people at the foot of different mountains, each living a pristine and simple life. In this journey, there is sadness…

A wanderer, in pursuit of the truth and to avoid persecution, left his hometown. He misses his elderly parents and relatives living thousands of miles away. Composer and xiao (Chinese flute) performer Guohua Chen expresses the wanderer’s longing for his homeland and his relatives with his low, graceful, and thoughtful Xiao sound. At the same…

People living in this world are connected by predestined relationships through time and space. Cherish the good predestined relationships, and let them bear good fruit. If you encounter a bad predestined relationship, you should resolve it with compassion, and don’t use evil to overcome evil; have compassion in your heart, and treat all predestined relationships…