Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron listen to the guqin melody "High Mountain and Flowing Water" at Baiyun Hall of the Pine Garden in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, April 7, 2023. (Photo: Xinhua)

During an informal meeting in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the story behind the melody "High Mountain and Flowing Water" to French President Emmanuel Macron after they enjoyed a guqin performance of the thousand-year-old tune.

Guqin is a seven-string Chinese zither with a history of more than 5,000 years. The melody "High Mountain and Flowing Water" played in the Baiyun Hall of the Pine Garden is one of the most famous Chinese musical compositions.

The tune was originally two separate compositions. Both of them originated from the legendary friendship between guqin master Yu Boya and woodsman Zhong Ziqi. It's a story about zhiyin, which means soulmates in English. Zhong became Yu's soulmate through his special understanding of his friend's music.

The story goes that when they first met, Yu was playing the guqin on a moonlit night. The woodsman stood nearby and quietly appreciated the beautiful tune. When Yu saw Zhong, he asked Zhong which tune he had just played and the woodsman answered with the exact name.

Yu then asked Zhong several questions about music, and again, he quickly gave all the right answers. Yu was surprised at Zhong's knowledge, and so he played a tune that captured the intense height of mountains.

After his performance, Zhong said, "How magnificent are the mountains!" When Yu performed another one, Zhong responded, "This one's for flowing water." Of course, this was exactly what Yu was attempting to capture.

Yu then realized that the person standing in front of him was one of those rare people with whom he could share his thoughts. The two became the best of companions after that.

When Zhong died, Yu went to his tomb and cried. He then performed those same tunes once again. After the performance, he broke his guqin and vowed never to play again, because he believed that no one could ever grasp the meaning of his music again.

In Chinese culture, "High Mountain and Flowing Water" represents cherished friendship. Although the piece usually performed today is not the same one that Yu played almost 3,000 years ago, it still conveys the same ideas, the magnificence of high mountains and the power of moving water.

(Compiled by Dai Yuhang)