THE SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION OF THE WHISTLING ART IN CHINA

Abstract

Whistling was one of the early auditory and ideographic means of humans. As a unique cultural phenomenon, whistling had been spreading in China for a long time, and was once called ‘xiao’. It had even become an early religious magic and a way of keeping fit for alchemists and Taoists. This study will further elaborate that as a primitive form of musical expression, whistling has unique significance in its development process. Whistling is a casual and joyful art of music, and this pleasure comes from the pursuit of the spiritual realm triggered by whistling. On the one hand, whistling has the function of expressing personal emotions and lifting the mood; on the other hand, it can create a realm that is the unity of heaven and humanity. From an aesthetic perspective, whistling is not a simple skill, but a return to nature by humans.

Keywords

• chinese art
• whistling
• xiao
• music
• religious
• taoists
• aesthetic
• acoustics