Abstract
In different parts of China, The traditional musics for birthday celebrations are different, but many pieces are related to the legend of Eight Immortals and longevity, such as Pa-hsien-ch'ing-shou ( A i V , Eight Immortals Congratulated Birthday), Wan-shou-wu-chiang ( , Long Life without Limit) etc. All those tunes are played with traditional instruments, such as: ti (transverse flute), hsiao (vertical flute), sheng (mouth organ), p'i-p'a (short lute), san-hsien (three-stringed long lute), hu-ch'in (two-stringed fiddle), etc. The Eight Immortals symbolize good fortune and longevity; their stories were handed down through the ages. In the mid 14th century (Yuan dynasty), the Eight Immortals were already acted in dramas. In the Ming and later dynasties, they were acted as important roles in the music plays for good fortune. Pa-hsien-ch'ing-shou and other traditional musics were introduced to Taiwan after world war II, but are not so popular as Wan-shou-wu-chiang. The melody of Pa-hsien-ch'ingshou (Ex. 1i), using a six tone scale, is often played in unison, but sometimes in harmony. Wan-shou-wu-chiang (Ex. 2) was
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