In January 1983, the replication of the chime bells from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng was successfully completed. In September 1984, following rigorous evaluation and acceptance tests by a panel of renowned experts from the fields of science and technology, music, and archaeology nationwide, the replication project was awarded the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress by the Ministry of Culture.
From September 26 to October 8, 1984, the replicated chime bells were featured in the performance celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. A special chime-bells concert was also held at the Huairen Hall in Zhongnanhai for diplomatic envoys from various countries stationed in China.
From February 20 to May 20, 1985, the Hubei Provincial Museum presented the “Hubei Marquis Yi of Zeng Court Music Cultural Relics Exhibition and Performance” at the Shenzhen Museum.
In 1986, the replicated chime bells were featured in performances at the National Exhibition of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Social Development at the Beijing Exhibition Center, where they were presented to multiple Party and state leaders.
In 1987, Chime-bells Performance Troupe was officially established by staff from the Ancient Music Exhibition and Research Office of the Hubei Provincial Museum, which later evolved into the Chime-bells Orchestra. This marked the beginning of its regular public performances.
In 1990, the Orchestra participated in the cultural exhibitions and performances associated with the Beijing Asian Games.
In 1992, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, the Hubei Provincial Museum was invited by the Tokyo National Museum, the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, and The Nikkei to host the “Special Exhibition of Cultural Relics Unearthed from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng” in Japan. Paired with the exhibition, the Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum embarked on its first overseas tour, performing on the replicated chime bells and other ancient musical instruments.
From June 25 to July 3, 1993, the Orchestra performed at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre.
From August 11, 1993 to August 1994, the Jing-Chu Cultural Relics Exhibition was held at the Singaporean Cultural Relics Museum. On this occasion, the Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum performed on the replicated chime bells.
From December 19, 1993, to February 1994, the Orchestra presented the “Echoes of the Ages: Special Performance of the Warring States Period Chime-bells from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng” at the Guangdong Provincial Museum. Furthermore, during the 1994 Spring Festival, the Orchestra performed at the live broadcast of the Guangdong Television Spring Festival Gala, hosting the event “Ancient Chimes Ring in the New Year.”
In the spring of 1995, the Hubei Provincial Museum was invited to present the “Chinese Zhou Dynasty Art Exhibition” in Luxembourg. Live performances featuring replicated chime bells, chime stones, and other ancient instruments caused a great sensation.
On November 5 and 6, 1996, the Hubei Provincial Museum and the Taipei Chinese Orchestra jointly presented two concerts titled “Echoes of the Ages: The Sound of Chime-bells from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng” in Taipei.
On July 1, 1997, the day when Hong Kong’s return to China drew global attention, the Symphony 1997: Heaven, Earth, and Mankind, composed and conducted by renowned musician Tan Dun, was appreciated by distinguished guests from various sectors gathered at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center—the venue for the Hong Kong Handover Ceremony between the Chinese and British governments. The piece featured the distinctive sounds of chime bells as an integral part of the performance.
From November 1997 to March 1998, to strengthen cultural exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, the “Exhibition of Highlights from Hubei Provincial Museum’s Collection” was held successively in Taipei and Kaohsiung. The Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum was invited to Taiwan to jointly present a special Chime-bells concert in collaboration with the Chinese Orchestra Taiwan.
From July 31 to August 4, 1998, the replicated chime bells traveled to London, UK. The Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum and the London Symphony Orchestra jointly presented a special chime bells concert.
In 1998, the replicated chime bells were brought to Lincoln Center in New York City and Boston Symphony Hall, where the Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum jointly held special concerts with the New York Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, respectively.
In May 1999, the Hubei Provincial Museum presented the exhibition “Dancing Dragons and Phoenixes: Archaeological Discoveries from Hubei” at the San Diego Museum of Art in the United States. The Chime-bells Orchestra of the museum accompanied the exhibition with live performances.
From April to September 2000, the Hubei Provincial Museum presented the exhibition “Music in the Age of Confucius” at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C., with accompanying performances by the Chime-bells Orchestra.
From November 2000 to February 2001, the “Sound of the Dragon: Chinese Archaeology and Bell Art Exhibition” was held at the Cité de la Musique in Paris. The event was coordinated by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and organized by the Cité de la Musique and the European Bell Art Society, with participation from the Ancient Bell Museum of the Great Bell Temple in Beijing and the Hubei Provincial Museum. The Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum gave a live performance at the venue. Jacques Chirac, then President of France, visited the exhibition with keen interest and enjoyed the performance of the chime bells, accompanied by Wu Jianmin, the Chinese Ambassador to France.
In 2004, the replicated chime bells traveled to Duisburg, Germany, where they were featured in a special joint concert with the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
From September 25 to October 15, 2005, during the European Music Festival, the Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum performed five concerts titled “Sound of the Chime Bells of Chinese Marquis Yi of Zeng” in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Orchestra also conducted a nine-day exhibition showcasing musical artifacts unearthed from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng and held an academic seminar at Leiden University on the theme of “The Chime Bells from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng and Traditional Music.”
In November 2007, the Hubei Provincial Museum’s Phase II Expansion was officially opened to the public. Since then, the Chime-bells Orchestra has been conducting regular performances in the Concert Hall of the Comprehensive Gallery.
In August 2008, the traditional metal and stone percussion instruments such as the replicated chime bells and chime stones performed by the Chime-bells Orchestra of the Hubei Provincial Museum were featured in the recording of the award ceremony music for the Beijing Olympic Games.
From May to October 2010, the Chime-bells Orchestra was invited to be the resident performing group at the Urban Footprint Pavilion during the Shanghai World Expo, being one of the most popular attractions among visitors from home and abroad.
In 2011, the Orchestra participated in the 29th Tokyo International Music Festival held at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. During the one-week festival, besides performing at the opening ceremony, the Orchestra also presented several special performances of Chime Bells Music and Dance together with the renowned dancer Mr. Huang Doudou, receiving enthusiastic acclaim from music lovers around the world.
In November 2012, the Hubei Provincial Museum hosted the 2012 General Conference of the International Council of Museums – Asia Pacific (ICOM-ASPAC). The Chime-bells Orchestra presented a special “Chime Bells Music and Dance” concert for guests from home and abroad. The stunning debut of this concert brought honor to the museum and received unanimous praise from the industry.
On May 16, 2013, jointly organized by the Hubei Provincial Museum and the US Consulate General in Wuhan, a public performance of the Trio Clavino and the Chime-bells Orchestra was held at the Hubei Provincial Museum. This feast for eyes and ears, transcending time and national borders and blending Chinese and Western cultures, achieved fine social effect.
On June 2, 2014, the Chime-bells Orchestra collaborated with Chutian Radio Station to plan and organize the special concert “Chasing Dreams: Teresa Teng and the Chime Bells,” which received unanimous acclaim and was covered by media outlets including Phoenix Television.
In July 2014, the Orchestra and Chinese-Canadian musician Ms. Geling Jiang jointly staged a special charity concert titled “Elegant and Graceful: Chime Bells and Folk Music.”
In September 2014, the Orchestra jointly performed the concert “Different Tunes, Shared Harmony” with Arun Ghosh, a renowned British jazz clarinettist, composer, musical director, and music educator.
On New Year’s Day of 2015, to strengthen cultural outreach and further enhance its social influence, the Hubei Provincial Museum and the Hubei Film and Television New Star Art Troupe jointly launched the public welfare performance event “Welcoming the New Year with Jing-Chu Charm: 2015 New Year's Day Charity Gala.”
On New Year’s Day of 2016, the Chime-bells Orchestra was invited by the Nantong Museum to present a special concert of chime-bells music and dance on the first day of the new year, which generated a significant positive response in the local community.
From July 3 to 9, 2016, the 24th General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and Museums Expo was held in Milan, Italy. In the China Pavilion, which was designed, arranged and decorated by the Hubei Provincial Museum, the stunning debut of the Museum’s Chime-bells Orchestra with their “Chime Bells Music and Dance” performance brought a unique artistic experience to audiences from around the world.
On July 21, 2016, the Chime-bells Orchestra began performing for audiences in the newly completed concert hall of the Chime-bells Pavilion, officially launching the program titled “Echoes of the Ages: The Marquis Yi of Zeng Chime-bells Concert.” With a seating capacity of 412, the hall greatly meets the viewing needs of the audience.
On May 14, 2018, the Orchestra traveled to the Blackhawk Museum in the United States to perform ancient music on the chime bells.
On April 14, 2019, the Orchestra performed along the route of the “Wuhan Marathon.”
On January 1, 2020, the Orchestra held its first independently organized Chime-bells New Year’s Concert.
On August 2, 2020, the Orchestra was invited to perform online for the opening ceremony of the 4th PAS • China International Percussion Arts Festival.
On April 8, 2021, the Orchestra held the “Reborn from the Flames: Chime-bells Concert for the Great Spirit of Resilience in the Fight Against the Pandemic.”
On April 17-18, 2021, the Orchestra held the “Jing-Chu Charm” concert at Tsinghua University’s auditorium in Beijing to celebrate the university’s 110th anniversary.
In December 2021, the Orchestra collaborated with People’s Daily Online to develop an H5-based mini-program for viewing chime-bells performance, which was officially launched online on January 1, 2022, New Year’s Day.
In December 2021, the Orchestra participated in the CCTV’s newly launched Spring Festival special program “Ancient Rhymes for the New Spring.”
On January 1, 2022, the Orchestra presented the “Love at First Sound” 2022 New Year Concert.
On January 31, 2022, the Orchestra was invited to perform “The Bin Feng: July” and “Ode to the Orange Tree” for CCTV's major cultural program “Ancient Rhymes for the New Spring.”
On May 1, 2022, the Orchestra began to stage its performances in the concert hall of its newly opened Phase Ⅲ building (the South Main Hall).
On May 18, 2022, the Orchestra held the “Museum Night: The Melody of the Yangtze River” Chime Bells Concert.
On June 11, 2022, the Orchestra held the “Chime • Qin: A Musical Affair” concert in celebration of the 2022 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day.
On September 22, 2022, the Hubei Provincial Museum and the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum jointly launched the “Love at First Sound” online concert.
On October 14, 2022, the Hubei Provincial Museum and the online game producer of “Moonlight Blade” jointly presented the themed online chime bells concert “Dance, Music, and Bronze.”
