Friends are rare in the world, so Boya Ziqi’s friendship has become an eternal song. Boya broke the strings of the qin and never played the drum again for the rest of his life, which shows Boya's deep friendship, respect and cherishment for Ziqi as his only close friend. Boya was saddened by Ziqi's early death, expressing his sadness that a close friend was hard to find. .
This story was first handed down orally among the people, and there is no precise record in history. In ancient books, the story about Boya playing the qin was first seen in the book "Liezi" written by Lie Yukou of Zheng during the Warring States Period.
After textual research, Boya’s original surname is Bo. It is said that his surname is Yu Mingrui and his given name is Boya. This is a fabrication by Feng Menglong, a novelist in the late Ming Dynasty. According to historical records, Zhong Ziqi was a native of Jixian Village, Hanyang, a villager. Taking pride in Ziqi, there is a slang word passed down from word to mouth: "Ziqi met Boya, and his friends were passed down through the ages."
Extended information:
1. "Boya's Drum and Qin" Creation background
"Bo Ya's Drum and Qin" is a story about Boya on his way to visit his relatives. This story was first handed down orally among the people, and there is no precise record in history. In ancient books, "Lu Shi Chun Qiu" contains folk stories about Boya Juexian.
2. Allusion to "Bo Ya Gu Qin"
During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a man named Boya who studied guqin with Mr. Chenglian. He has mastered various performance techniques, but the teacher felt that when he played, he often did not understand deeply and simply played the notes, lacking a bit of charm and unable to arouse the screams of the audience. The teacher wanted to train him to be a real artist.
One day, Mr. Cheng Lian said to Boya: "My teacher Fang Zichun lives in Donghai. He can teach you how to cultivate people's temperament. I will take you there and let him teach you. It can greatly improve your artistic level." So the master and the apprentice prepared dry food and set off on the boat. After arriving at Penglai Mountain in the East China Sea, Mr. Chenglian said to Boya: "You stay here to practice the piano, and I will go find the master." After that, he rowed the boat and gradually moved away.