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Gi Shien, known in Chinese as Wèi Zhīyǎn, was one of the chief musicians credited with introducing music of the [[Ming Dynasty]] into Japan in the 17th century.

Gi Shien, known in Chinese as Wèi Zhīyǎn, was one of the chief musicians credited with introducing music of the [[Ming Dynasty]] into Japan in the 17th century.

Little is known of his life in China. Originally from [[Fujian province]], he fled the chaos of the [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]] conquest of China, traveling first to [[Tonkin]] and [[Annam]], and eventually making his way to Japan in [[1666]]. He took up residence in [[Nagasaki]] beginning in [[1672]], and the following year was granted permission to travel to [[Kyoto]] to perform Ming music.

Little is known of his life in China. Originally from [[Fujian province]], he fled the chaos of the [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]] conquest of China alongside his brother Wei Zhiyuan. The two brothers first settled in [[Tonkin]] and [[Annam]] for a time, where they became involved in commercial trade / shipping between Vietnam and Japan. Zhiyan's brother died in [[1654]], and twelve years later, in [[1666]], Zhiyan made his way to Japan. He took up residence in [[Nagasaki]] beginning in [[1672]], and the following year was granted permission to travel to [[Kyoto]] to perform Ming music. While in Nagasaki, Zhiyan also became an active patron of [[Sofuku-ji|Sôfuku-ji]], an [[Obaku|Ôbaku]] [[Zen]] temple closely associated with the [[Chinese in Nagasaki|Chinese community]] there.

In [[1679]], he was granted Japanese nationality, and his descendants took on the Japanese-style surname Ôga (鉅鹿, C: ''Jùlù'', after the family's hometown in Julu county in [[Hebei province]])<ref>Britten Dean, “Mr. Gi’s Music Book: An Annotated Translation of Gi Shimei’s Gi-shi gakufu,” ''Monumenta Nipponica'' 37:3 (1982), 317.</ref>. A number of them, perhaps Gi Kô (aka [[Gi Shimei]], [[1728]]-[[1774]]) especially, played significant roles in spreading Ming music further, over the course of the [[Edo period]].

In [[1679]], Wei Zhiyan was granted Japanese nationality, and his descendants took on the Japanese-style surname Ôga (鉅鹿, C: ''Jùlù'', after the family's hometown in Julu county in [[Hebei province]])<ref>Britten Dean, “Mr. Gi’s Music Book: An Annotated Translation of Gi Shimei’s Gi-shi gakufu,” ''Monumenta Nipponica'' 37:3 (1982), 317.</ref>. A number of them, perhaps Gi Kô (aka [[Gi Shimei]], [[1728]]-[[1774]]) especially, played significant roles in spreading Ming music further, over the course of the [[Edo period]].

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==References==

==References==

*Nakao Yukari 中尾友香梨, "Nihon ni okeru Mingaku no juyô" 「日本における明楽の受容」, in Kojima Yasunori 小島康敬 (ed.), ''Reigaku bunka'' 礼楽文化, Tokyo: Pelican-sha (2013), 343.

*Nakao Yukari 中尾友香梨, "Nihon ni okeru Mingaku no juyô" 「日本における明楽の受容」, in Kojima Yasunori 小島康敬 (ed.), ''Reigaku bunka'' 礼楽文化, Tokyo: Pelican-sha (2013), 343.

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