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The Bianzhong is an ancient Chinese musical instrument consisting of a set of bronze bells, played melodically. They were once hung on a wooden frame and struck with a mallet.

The Bianzhong first appeared in the Shang Dynasty when 3 to 5 bells were put together to make music. At that time, the Bianzhong was unique in shape and the surface was decorated with line patterns. Evolving into the Western Zhou Dynasty, 8 bells together made a minor third or major third sound range and the Bianzhong was widely used in imperial banquets. In the late Spring and Autumn period, more bells were added to make a complete set. After the Qin and Han Dynasties, the shape of the Bianzhong was transformed as most of the bells were round and each bell made only one sound. 

After 500 years of popular usage, the Bianzhong began to decline in popularity. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Bianzhong was exclusively used in high cultures and was rarely used in everyday life. Until the Song and Qing Dynasties, few people knew about the techniques of making the Bianzhong and its sound quality decreased.

In 1957, the first set of 13 chimes was unearthed in Xinyang City of Henan Province, which was used by musicians to play the music of "Dongfanghong" at that time. 

In 1978, another large set of many chimes was unearthed in the tomb of Zeng Houyi ( in the Warring States Period, before 433 BC), Leigudun Village, southern suburb of Suizhou City of Hubei Province. And it is large enough to occupy the entire stage of a modern concert hall. Bianzhong Exhibition Hall in Hubei Provincial Museum has a collection of the cultural relics unearthed from a grave of Yi (a king in Zhanguo Period, 476 BC-221 BC), and you can also appreciate the Bianzhong performance here.