What does folk music mean?

Chinese folk instrumental music has a long history. From the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, folk music was popular in the form of instrumental music, such as playing the sheng, blowing the yu, drumming the serpent, striking the building, and playing the qin. At that time, qin masters such as Shi Juan and Shi Kuang, as well as famous qin tunes such as "The High Mountain" and "Running Water," emerged. In the Qin and Han dynasties, the drum and blow music, the Qing Shang music of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the pipa music of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the fine music of the Song dynasty, the Qing music, and the ten gongs and drums and strings of the Yuan and Ming dynasties were all played in a rich variety of forms.