Da Sheng Yi Yin Guqin – Replica of the Tang Dynasty Imperial Qin from the Palace Museum

<h2>Da Sheng Yi Yin – Sound Remaining from the Great Sage</h2>

<p>In the Southern Storehouse of the Qing imperial palace, among forgotten objects and accumulated rust, lay a guqin catalogued as <em>破琴一张</em> — "one broken qin." It was assigned serial number <em>Kun 107</em> and left where it was.</p>

<p>In 1947, scholar Wang Shixiang recognized it for what it truly was. Two years later, it was entrusted to Guan Pinghu — one of the greatest guqin masters of the twentieth century — for restoration. What he held in his hands was a Tang dynasty guqin, crafted in <strong>756 CE</strong> by the Lei family of Sichuan, the most celebrated instrument-making lineage in Chinese history.</p>

<p>This guqin is handcrafted by the artisans of Seven String Qin as a faithful 1:1 replica of the <em>Da Sheng Yi Yin</em> (大圣遗音), preserved in the Palace Museum (故宫博物院). Every detail has been meticulously reproduced: the <em>Shennong</em> form, the deep black lacquer over paulownia wood, the <strong>snake-belly and ox-hair crack patterns</strong>, the gold silk tassels, and the sixteen-character inscription carved into the back:</p>

<blockquote>巨壑迎秋，寒江印月。万籁悠悠，孤桐飒裂。<br>
<em>The great gorge welcomes autumn. The cold river holds the moon.<br>
Ten thousand sounds fall silent. The lone paulownia splits in the wind.</em></blockquote>

<p>Like the Jiuxiao Huanpei and Jiaolin Tingyu on this site, you cannot own the artifact itself — but you can own one of the finest replicas in existence, placing you among the rarest of collectors in the world.</p>

<p>It is our deepest wish that this qin — imbued with the spirit of the Tang dynasty — becomes your lifelong companion and a family heirloom passed down through generations. Centuries from now, it will truly be an antique in its own right.</p>

Even if you have never played a note in your life, hanging one of these 1:1 replica guqin in your living room, study, or bedroom elevates the entire space — much like a museum-quality oil painting, it speaks of taste, culture, and a life lived with intention.

<h3>Faithful Replica Details</h3>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Form (琴型)</strong> – Shennong style (神农式), exact proportions of the original Tang instrument</li>
  <li><strong>Color (颜色)</strong> – Black (黑色) lacquer finish replicating the deep, aged tones of the original</li>
  <li><strong>Crackle Pattern (断纹)</strong> – snake-belly and ox-hair craquelure, hand-applied to replicate the natural cracking of thousand-year-old lacquer</li>
  <li><strong>Inscriptions (刻字)</strong> – all sixteen characters and seals faithfully reproduced on the back</li>
</ul>

<h3>Specifications</h3>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Length:</strong> 49.2 in (125 cm)</li>
  <li><strong>Width:</strong> 7.9 in (20 cm)</li>
  <li><strong>Thickness:</strong> 3.9 in (10 cm)</li>
  <li><strong>Weight:</strong> 7.1 lb (3.2 kg)</li>
</ul>

<p><a href="/blogs/the-qin-archive/da-sheng-yi-yin-the-qin-that-was-called-a-broken-instrument">→ Read the full story of Da Sheng Yi Yin</a></p>