Qing (Stone Chime)

The qing is one of the frequently used ritual implements in Daoist temples and ceremonies. In ancient China, the qing was already used as a musical instrument. Made of stone, jade, or metal, the qing is rectangular in shape, suspended on a stand, and produces a crisp striking sound when hit with a wooden or stone mallet. The Shuowen Jiezi states, "Qing is a musical stone." In ancient Chinese rituals, the qing was always struck. The Chuxue Ji quotes the Wujing Yaoyi, saying, "The qing is the music of early autumn." The Chunguan section of the Rites of Zhou mentions, "The Master of Qing is in charge of teaching how to strike the qing." Mencius referred to "the sound of metal and the resonance of jade," describing the musical performance as beginning with bells and ending with the qing. Early Daoist rituals were relatively simple, with no records of striking the qing. After the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties period, Daoist temples and ceremonies began to use the qing in conjunction with bells, creating a solemn scene of resonant bell and qing sounds. The Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingsi states that there are six types of qing materials: "First, jade; second, gold; third, silver; fourth, copper; fifth, iron; sixth, stone. They may have two, four, nine, or no corners, or resemble hooks, all inscribed with identifying marks, permanently dedicated for offerings. All bells and qings must be suspended in the air." Today, in Daoist temples and ritual altars, bowl-shaped bronze qings have replaced the rectangular suspended stone and jade qings. There are also smaller bowl-shaped bronze qings called bowl qings, and hand qings, also known as leading qings, which are attached to the top of a wooden handle and can be carried while walking.

The qing is used in Daoist temples and ceremonies for two purposes. First, to move the spirits and communicate with the divine; second, to admonish the congregation and "regulate dignity and decorum, which are essential for appearance and conduct." The Dongxuan Lingbao Daoxue Keyi states, "On the left front platform of the temple, there are suspended bells and qings, which are sounded according to the time, not only to admonish the congregation but also to move the spirits." Jin Yuzhong's Shangqing Lingbao Dafa from the Southern Song Dynasty says, "As the altar is being prepared, bells and qings resonate together. The rhymes play the music of the heavens, as if the gods are wandering in the imperial court; the high-pitched chanting resembles the mysterious realm of Xundu." Wang Qizhen's Shangqing Lingbao Dafa also states, "The shape of the bell is round at the top and slopes downward; its sound is clear and distant, with a coiled dragon at its peak, associated with the golden bell, called Yang. The shape of the qing is round at the bottom and slopes upward; its sound is heavy and muffled, with a crouching tiger at its base, associated with the qing, called Yin." Therefore, the harmonious sound of bells and qings is like the union of Yin and Yang, capable of summoning the spirits of Yang virtue from the ten directions and gathering the rulers of Yin darkness from the nine realms, universally descending to the ritual assembly to jointly verify the merits of the斋 (fasting) ceremony. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, there were many regulations regarding the timing and procedures for using the qing in Daoist temples and ceremonies.