--- description: Right down to the sounds of collecting coins and mushrooms. title: Super Mario Brothers Theme Played on Ancient Chinese Instrument Sheng image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # This Ancient Chinese Instrument Was Made to Play the Super Mario Bros. Theme by [Samantha Grossman](/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 24, 2014 12:00 PM CUT by [Samantha Grossman](/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 24, 2014 12:00 PM CUT We’re assuming that when the musical instrument known as the sheng was invented in China thousands of years ago, no one knew that it would one day be used to play a magically spot-on version of the _Super Mario Bros._ theme music. But here we are. At a recent concert in Taipei, Taiwan, a performer treated her audience to the classic video game tune, complete with all the nuanced sound effects, played entirely on the sheng. It’s pretty bizarre to hear that modern music coming from such an ancient instrument, right? Well, keep in mind that the instrument this performer is playing isn’t in itself ancient, but evolved from something ancient. _Slate_ [explains](http://www.slate.com/blogs/future%5Ftense/2014/02/23/sheng%5Fan%5Fancient%5Fchinese%5Finstrument%5Fsounds%5Flike%5F8%5Fbit%5Fmario.html "undefined"): --- > “” --- It’s still pretty amusing to think of ancient Chinese emperors hanging out playing _Super Mario Bros._ in their opium dens. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/9585/super-mario-bros-theme-ancient-chinese-instrument/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/9585/super-mario-bros-theme-ancient-chinese-instrument/"},"headline":"This Ancient Chinese Instrument Was Made to Play the Super Mario Bros. Theme","datePublished":"2014-02-24T12:00:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:07:17.801Z","description":"Right down to the sounds of collecting coins and mushrooms.","url":"https://time.com/9585/super-mario-bros-theme-ancient-chinese-instrument/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Tech","Video Games","Music","China","Super mario bros."],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Samantha Grossman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/9585/super-mario-bros-theme-ancient-chinese-instrument/","name":"This Ancient Chinese Instrument Was Made to Play the Super Mario Bros. Theme"}}]}] ```