Haiwang YUAN

Bianzhong (bronze bells) from the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–221 BCE) shown at the Imperial Palace, Beijing. PHOTO BY JOAN LEBOLD COHEN.
A bianzhong is an ancient Chinese musical instrument comprising bells of different sizes—most often they are made of a copper, tin, and lead alloy—which are hung in an orderly way from a wooden rack and struck with a mallet. The instrument’s popularity grew after its first appearance in the Shang