乐 Joy

Apple Music continues with its second New Year blessing: Joy. It is no coincidence that the traditional character for joy and music is written the same way (樂). First appearing 3,000 years ago, it is a pictograph for a wooden stringed instrument. The upper part represents strings (幺), while the lower part is the character for wood (木). Over the centuries, it made the jump to “joy”. The connection got a big endorsement from the famed Confucian philosopher Xunzi, who said, “Music is a pleasure that human nature cannot do without”. And like good music, joy is infectious: it can start with a smile that sparks warmth in another’s heart, which then grows and extends to others. Spread those feelings and share this playlist of classic and contemporary Chinese songs.