雲岡石窟的音樂圖像是瞭解北魏（386～534年）佛教音樂的一把鑰匙，然從前人的研究成果來看，其音樂圖像中全箱式的「琴」型樂器究竟是古琴、古箏、瑟或臥箜篌，觀點個殊。本文之目的即在對雲岡石窟音樂圖像中的「琴」型樂器做研究，以實地考察結合文獻史料來論證這些「琴」型樂器很有可能是中國傳統的古琴。這些音樂圖像中的「琴」非但可為古琴在北魏時期的空白多添一筆，亦可對古琴為中國傳統文人藝術，在北魏時期既融入鮮卑族文化，亦成為佛教音樂所用之樂器，提供有力的證據。

The musical iconography in the Yungang Grottoes is a key to understanding the Buddhist music of Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Although there have been some prior studies on the musical instruments of musical iconography in the Yungang Grottoes, whether the 'Qin' (a musical instrument that looks like a rectangular box) is 'Guqin' (a seven-stringed musical instrument), 'Guzheng' (a Chinese zither with 13 strings), 'Se' (a large zither-like plucked instrument with 25 or more strings) or 'Horizontal konghou' (an ancient plucked stringed instrument) is arguable.
This paper focuses on discussing whether it is possible to proclaim the 'Qin' as a traditional Chinese musical instrument 'Guqin' both from a literature review and from investigating 'Qin' personally in the Yungan Grottoes. If it is the case, the musical instrument “Qin” in the Yungang Grottoes can be added as a musical instrument of the Northern Wei period as a source of understanding Guqin's influence on Chinese educated people and culture. Also, it can provide solid evidence that it served as a Buddhist religious musical instrument at that time.