Twelve tones of bronze drum

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: twelve tunes of Tonggu

Applicant: Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province

Item No.: 91

Project No.: Ⅱ - 60

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Guizhou Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province

Protection unit: Zhenfeng Cultural Center

Introduction to twelve tunes of bronze drum

Applicant: Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province

Buyi copper drum is one of the ancient percussion instruments of Buyi Nationality, which is a precious national cultural heritage. It is made of bronze, often mixed with suona, leather drum, cymbals, gongs and wooden sticks to play. It basically retains the performance style of ancient musical instruments and has the national characteristics of Buyi Nationality. It is said that the bronze drum was made by the ancient Baiyue "Luoyue", the ancestor of Buyi Nationality. Therefore, it is regarded as a family heirloom and a symbol of clan and religious unity by the Buyi people. It worships as if it were a deity, offering sacrifices every year and worshiping every year.

Twelve tunes of Buyi bronze drum originated in ancient times, spread in Biandan mountain, Dingqi Town, Dashan Township, Chengguan Town, Liuma Township, Shasha Township, Liangtian Township, Muyi Township, and radiated to the surrounding Buyi areas such as Guanling Autonomous County, Liuzhi special zone, Puding County, forming a Buyi folk bronze drum cultural circle covering several counties.

The twelve tunes of Buyi bronze drum are composed of "magpie tune", "Sanhua tune", "drum worship tune", "ancestor worship tune", "369 tune", "sacrifice tune" and "Xiqing tune". They are national music expressing Buyi characteristics in celebration, ancestor worship and sacrifice ceremonies.

ZHENFENG county is located in the east of Qianxinan Buyi Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. It is a multi-ethnic area, in which there are more than 400 Buyi villages. ZHENFENG Buyi people call twelve tones of bronze drum "Twelve rules of bronze drum". The Buyi people have no written language, and the twelve rules of bronze drum are passed down in the family way, and passed down from generation to generation through oral and psychological teaching.

As an important part of national culture and regional culture, bronze drum has always been associated with Buyi people's life and cultural style. In Chinese history, many ancient musical instruments disappeared with the changes of the times, but the bronze drum music culture in Buyi Nationality area has been inherited and preserved to this day. Twelve tones of bronze drum is a treasure house of rich ancient music works and ancient music information.

The development of modern economy, technology and the impact of foreign culture lead to the rapid change of people's aesthetic style. The ancient Buyi bronze drum tune is now little known, which is difficult to arouse the interest of young people. The inheritance of the bronze drum tune is in an endangered state, which needs to be rescued and protected.