Xiliang in ancient times was mainly located in Liangzhou District, Wuwei City, Gansu Province.

"Liangzhou" in Chinese history is not just Liangzhou District, Wuwei City, Gansu Province today. Since the establishment of the county in the Han Dynasty, the name of "Liangzhou" has been changed many times, sometimes called "Wuwei" ", sometimes called "Guzang", sometimes called "Xiliang", sometimes called "Qianliang".

Xiliang has changed its name many times since the establishment of Wuwei County in the Western Han Dynasty. When the Xiongnu ruled the Hexi Corridor, it was called Guzang. At that time, it occupied most of Gansu Province, and also expanded to several surrounding provinces. It was called Liangzhou in history.

Xiliang music and dance

It is a famous music and dance that originated in ancient Liangzhou since the Han and Tang Dynasties and has been widely spread in the Central Plains. At the beginning of the fourth century AD, the Central Plains was in the midst of war. At that time, Liangzhou, controlled by the Han Chinese Zhang Gui, was relatively stable. A large number of gentry and literati from the Central Plains came to live in Liangzhou. The arrival of these immigrants also brought the colorful culture of the Central Plains to Liangzhou, including some old songs of the Han and Wei Dynasties.

As a representative work of Xiliang music and dance, "Qin and Han Dynasties" is a Yan music with its own characteristics that integrates local music of Liangzhou, ancient music of the Central Plains, Qiuci music and Tianzhu music.

According to expert research, the music and dance mural in Cave 220 of the Dunhuang Grottoes shows the scene of playing "Xiliang Music". In the mural, there are 28 members of the band, divided into two groups, facing each other. The musicians are either bare-chested or draped in heavenly clothes. They have different skin colors and hair styles. They play music from the Central Plains and imported from the Western Regions and foreign countries. Various percussion, wind and plucked instruments.

Musical instruments include zither, panpipe, recorder, square ring, 筚篥, five-stringed flute, transverse flute, waist drum, dutan drum, tara drum, Jie drum, Maoyuan drum, clapper, cymbal, and yu. Konghou, Falu, etc. Two teams of dancers, wrapped in plain white skirts or brocaded pomegranate skirts, danced gracefully amid bright lights and instrumental music, always spinning and stomping on the small circular carpet, with silk and silk flying. This is probably the Hu Xuan Dance or Hu Teng Dance that came from the Western Regions. This painting is the largest music and dance picture among the Dunhuang murals.

The above content refers to Baidu Encyclopedia-Xiliang