Gufeng music (traditional Chinese:古風音樂;simplified Chinese:古风音乐;pinyin:gǔfēng yīnyuè;Jyutping:gu2 fung1 jam1ngok6) is a type of music genre by artists originating from theGreater China region. It is a kind ofC-pop music with a background in Chinese legends, the style of Chinese folk songs and drama; melodies in the genre are similar to classical Chinese music and are played on classicalChinese musical instruments.[1][2][3] It is similar but slightly different fromZhongguo feng music.[4]
The lyrics of Gufeng music are created mainly based on ancient Chinese mythological legends andverses. In recent years, this kind of songs are often used inXianxia,Wuxia games, anime, dramas, etc.[5][6] This kind of music has also become popular amongInternet cultures such asHanfu movement.[7]
Gufeng music was usually calledXianxia music (仙侠; xianxia being a genre of Chinese fiction that is similar to wuxia, but with more mythological elements), and what now seems like a movement began rather quietly in 2005, calling for netizens to write lyrics with ancient-styled poems for the music in some popular PC games, includingThe Legend of Sword and Fairy andXuan-Yuan Sword. The name seems to derive from the namesake lyricist column on Fenbei, and the basic concept ofChinoiserie music, a term which describes Western approximations of Chinese music.[8]