In the reign of Emperor Wu of Han (140-87 BC), the Music Conservatory was given a great deal of attention, and its work flourished. It collected folk songs from a wide area of China, including Zhao, Dai, Qin and Chu (corresponding to the modern Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui and JiangSu provinces). It also recruited dozens 0f the empire-s leading literary figures, including Sima Xiangru, to create poems and fu verses, as well as songs, set to music by Li Yannian. The latter came from a musical family in the Zhongshan region, and he was well versed in China's musical tradition. His younger sister, who was an accomplished dancer, became a favorite of Emperor Wu, and through her influence Li Yannian received the title Xielu Duwei. Although this was only a temporary promotion to a routine position, Li Yannian was able to exercise his musical talent to the full. Xielu meant the creation and performance of music Li Yannian was adept at composing music and revising new compositions. His works were referred t as "new sounds", '-new sound tunes" or "new changed sounds".

         From the time of Emperor Wu, the Music Conservatory grew by leaps and bounds. In its early days, it provided 7o boy and girl entertainers for imperial banquets, accompanied by an orchestra. But it was not long be f0re it had a contingent of over 800. In 7 BC, the Music Conservatory was abolished, most of the personnel dismissed being singers and musicians from the regions, with the others allocated to ya yue duties. The influence of the Music Conservatory was great for 200 years, especially in the 1 00 years which followed the reign of Emperor Wu, and although the name of the Music Conservatory was not preserved, later generations had corresponding institutions, and called the types of songs which resembled those that the Music C0nservatory had collected "Music Conservatory" songs.

       This historical period covers nearly 1,2oo years, and can be conveniently divided into two parts. The first part includes the Qin and Han dynasties, the Three Kingdoms Period and the jin Dynasty (221 BC- AD 42o), and the second part extends through the Southern and Northern, Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties (42o-96o) periods. The common characteristic of the two periods is that the mainstream musical form was the Daqu of songs and dances; what distinguished them was the fact that in the earlier period, the music of the Han nationality was dominant, whereas in the later period, owing to unprecedented exchanges between China and the utside world, the musical traditions of other nationalities overwhelmingly affected Chinese songs, dances and music.

        The Qin ynasty lasted only 14 years. But this was not a transition period, for the Han Dynasty inherited the governmental system founded by Qin, including the official Music Conservatory. Under the Qin, there were two offices for regulating music: one was in charpge of ritual music, known as Fengchang, and the other was the Music Conservatory, which came under the administration of the Shaofu. The Shaofu was in charge of scouring the country for articles to be offered for the emperor's amusement, and so the Music Conservatory had the task of searching out local songs and dances t0 be presented for the emperor's appreciation.