MUZI MUZIChinese Matrix

Gong-and-Drum Music

Drums that shake the ground, gongs and cymbals in reply

Introduction

Folk percussion ensembles of drums, gongs and cymbals

Gong-and-drum music is played by ensembles of drums, gongs, nao and bo cymbals across north and south China at festivals, temple fairs and rites. Alligator-skin drums from the large tombs at Taosi in Xiangfen, Shanxi, about 4,300 years old, are important early evidence for the drum. Leading traditions include the Jiangzhou drum music and Weifeng gongs and drums of southern Shanxi, the Zhoushan gongs and drums of Zhejiang, the Tujia dayuezi of western Hunan and the Changshan war drums of Hebei; each strings drum-and-gong patterns into suites, often played on the march or in changing formations. Jiangzhou drum music is said to go back to the pre-Qin era and flourished under the Ming and Qing. These traditions have entered the national intangible heritage list since 2006.

Timeline

Late Neolithic to present
2300 BCE · OriginThe large tombs at Taosi in Xiangfen, Shanxi (c. 4,300–3,900 years ago) held eight drums headed with alligator skin, buried in fixed sets with pottery drums and stone chimes: important early evidence for the drum.350 BCE · EvolutionA Warring States Chu tomb at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang, Hubei, yielded a lacquered drum on a stand of two tigers and two birds, showing a mature mounted drum.1600 · EvolutionAccording to the national ICH database, Jiangzhou drum music is said to date from the pre-Qin era and flourished under the Ming and Qing, played at festivals and village rites in southern, central and northern repertoires.2006 · ImpactIn 2006 the Zhoushan, Liangping, Tujia, Weifeng, Jiangzhou and Wenshui percussion traditions entered the first national ICH list; in 2008 Tianjin fagu and the gong-and-drum arts (Changshan war drums, Taiyuan gongs and drums, Kaifeng pangu and others) followed in the second.
  1. 2300 BCEOriginThe large tombs at Taosi in Xiangfen, Shanxi (c. 4,300–3,900 years ago) held eight drums headed with alligator skin, buried in fixed sets with pottery drums and stone chimes: important early evidence for the drum.
  2. 350 BCEEvolutionA Warring States Chu tomb at Jiuliandun, Zaoyang, Hubei, yielded a lacquered drum on a stand of two tigers and two birds, showing a mature mounted drum.
  3. 1600EvolutionAccording to the national ICH database, Jiangzhou drum music is said to date from the pre-Qin era and flourished under the Ming and Qing, played at festivals and village rites in southern, central and northern repertoires.
  4. 2006ImpactIn 2006 the Zhoushan, Liangping, Tujia, Weifeng, Jiangzhou and Wenshui percussion traditions entered the first national ICH list; in 2008 Tianjin fagu and the gong-and-drum arts (Changshan war drums, Taiyuan gongs and drums, Kaifeng pangu and others) followed in the second.

Heritage Listings

  1. 2006National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage1st batch · traditional music: Ⅱ-43 Zhoushan gongs and drums · Ⅱ-53 Liangping laizi gongs and drums · Ⅱ-54 Tujia dayuezi · Ⅱ-56 Weifeng gongs and drums of southern Shanxi · Ⅱ-57 Jiangzhou drum music · Ⅱ-64 Wenshui guazi
  2. 2008National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage2nd batch · 2008: Ⅱ-122 Tianjin fagu · Ⅱ-123 gong-and-drum arts — Hangu flying cymbals · Changshan war drums · Taiyuan gongs and drums · Sijing shijin fine gongs and drums · datongqi · Kaifeng pangu · Yichang tangdiao · Hancheng marching drums
  3. 2008National ICH extension itemsⅡ-54 Tujia dayuezi: Wufeng and Hefeng · Hubei