Moral and symbolic significance of drums

Drum is a percussion instrument, which means celebration and encouragement, and generally symbolizes prosperity and endeavor. Drums are like thunder. In ancient times, they were regarded as artifacts to communicate with heaven. They often appear in large-scale collective activities such as sacrifice, hunting, exploration, etc., accompanied by the development of human civilization from the wild era to the present.

Brief introduction of drum:

China, together with Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt and ancient India, is the birthplace of the earliest drums in the world. Historically, China drums spread to neighboring countries, such as North Korea and Japan, and also absorbed many foreign drums. The traditional drums in China are the mainstream in the Central Plains, and the drums of ethnic minorities in the border areas are influenced by both traditional drums and foreign drums, especially Arabian and Indian drums.

Most of the traditional drums in China originated from the Central Plains, and there were more than 20 kinds before Qin and Han Dynasties. Although they vary in size and height, they are almost all of thick waist type. At that time, it was used for poetry, music, dance, labor, sacrifice, war and celebration. From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Qing Dynasty, almost all the original traditional drums in the Central Plains were preserved and developed, while foreign drums dominated by Arabia and India were popular in the Central Plains for a long time and occupied an important position, but gradually declined or even lost in the later period, leaving only some unknown records in the literature, such as eaves drum, Qi drum, chicken drum, Jie drum, Ala drum, Dutan drum and Maoyuan drum.

Drums appeared earlier. Judging from the unearthed cultural relics found today, it can be determined that drums have a history of about 4,500 years. In ancient times, drums were not only used for sacrifice, music and dance, but also for attacking enemies and driving away wild animals. They were also tools for telling time and giving an alarm. With the development of society, drums are more widely used, and national bands, various dramas, folk arts, songs and dances, boat races and lion dances, festival gatherings and labor competitions are all inseparable from drum instruments.