Xie Shang (original) (raw)

Xie Shang (308– 14 June 357), courtesy name Renzu, was a military general, musician and writer of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was a member of the Xie clan of Chen Commandery and was the elder cousin to the Jin prime minister Xie An. In the 350s, he participated in the expeditions to reclaim northern China for the Jin dynasty, his most important contribution being his recovery of the imperial seal, which had been lost in the north decades prior. Although a general, Shang was mostly known for his talents in art and music. He was one of the earlier known players of the pipa and helped popularize bells and stone chimes in southern China.