Meihua Sannong is one of the earliest and most famous pieces of Chinese ancient music. Its origin went back to as early as the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), in which period lived a famous general and musician named Huan Yi. One day, General Huan met a young man named Wang Huizhi, who humbly invited Huan to play one piece of Dizi (bamboo flute) music. Huan accepted with no hesitation. What he played was Meihua Sannong, the most popular melody in that period.
Meihua means plum blossom, but the meaning of the latter Sannong is confusing. Generally speaking, Sannong means repeating the main melody three times. Meihua Sannong is composed mainly of a number of different melodies, each of which consists of a string of connected musical phrases. Contrasting tempos and the restraining influence of synchronism serve to produce effects of scattering and tightening, which represent plum blossom's pure and noble peacefulness and fearlessness to the severe cold. This melody expresses the loneliness and extraordinary self-admiration of ancient Chinese scholars.
With time passing by, Meihua Sannong is fairly common with other kinds of musical instruments and this elegant melody now is one of the repertoires of Guqin music.