Guqin song (or qin song) has been part of the traditional ritual music culture in China. Legend has it that from the reigns of Emperor Yao and Shun, guqin and songs were inseparable. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the Tang dynasty and later in the Ming dynasty, guqin song witnessed three peak times, leaving behind loads of musical legacies.

Li Qi, a poet of the Tang dynasty once wrote in his poem "Guqin Song": "At the first note, all else falls silent; no one talks, yet no star shines." He further thought about "Appointed as official here, far away from home; determined to retire, tonight off I go." The poem was all about his feelings of resigning and secluding. It proves that guqin songs have been an important part of the spiritual life of ancient literati.