Listen to Super Mario played on an ancient Chinese instrument

Li-Jin Lee of the Taiwan Philharmonic plays the music from Super Mario on an instrument millennia old — and it sounds amazing.

The music from the original 1985 Super Mario Bros is one of the most popular gaming tunes for nerdy remixin', with version appearing on anything from new digital instruments to a capella.

We do have to say, though, that this treatment blew us away. It's being played on a sheng at a performance by the Taiwan Philharmonic celebrating the instrument. The sheng is a complex free-reed instrument from China, and it's one of the oldest instruments from the region, dating all the way back to 1100 BCE. It consists of a system of vertical pipes and a mouthpiece. Each pipe has a small hole; when the hole is covered, the reed vibrates, producing a note.

Sheng player Li-Jin Lee of the Taiwan Philharmonic seems to be something of a master of the instrument — to our ears, at least — reproducing the chiptune right down to the sounds of the coins. We can't be the only ones who want to learn to play now.

Have a listen in the video below.