“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, his defeat in the battle, his failure to recover from the defeat, bidding farewell to his beloved concubine, and his eventually committing suicide. The melody expresses sympathy and is a eulogy for this renowned historical figure. The whole song can be divided into ten sections: 00:00—2:20 Camp Drum 02:21—2:55 Military Meeting in the Tent 02:56—3:33 Appointing Generals (A) 03:34—4:06 Appointing Generals (B) 04:07—4:17 Appointing Generals (C) 04:19—4:30 Entering the Battle Field 04:31—5:57 The Battle of Gaixia 05:58—7:48 The Song of Chu Kingdom 07:49—8:35 Farewell My Concubine 08:35—10:08 Wujiang River Among them, “Farewell My Concubine” is …