In the performance of Daoist ritual, the Daoist priests of Hong Kong Quanzhen Temples will use different kinds of instruments. The genus term of them is “faqi”.
Magical Sword
During a salvation ritual, the high priest opens the gate to the netherworld with the magical sword in accordance with Daoist ways, so that the dead can leave hell for the world of the living to listen the chanting of scriptures.
Water Jar
The water jar is a ritual vessel for purifying the place where the rites are held. The high priest turns the water in the water jar into sacred water according to Daoist ways. While he reads aloud the incantation Jing Tiandi Shenzhou, he sprays magical water with pomelo leaves to purify the ritual place.
Muyu
The muyu is a ritual percussion instrument. It is sounded by knocking a hollow woodblock resembling a fish with a wooden hammer. In a salvation ritual, the muyu is usually played by the Inspector of Fasts in tandem with the Chief Cantor who plays the dangzi to pace the scripture chanting.
Guiding Chime
The guiding chime (yinqing) consists of an inverted bell and a rod-shaped mallet, sounded by hitting the mallet against the bell. It has two functions: one is to show piety when extolling the gods and their sacred titles, and the other is to synchronize the movements of ritual masters during worship.
Dangzi
Dangzi is a ritual percussion instrument, and used together with the woodblock muyu. It is sounded by hitting a small mallet against a bronze disc. In a salvation ritual, the Chief Cantor usually plays the dangzi in tandem with the Inspector of Fasts who plays the muyu to guide the tempo of scripture chanting.
