When was the Taiping Drum Circulated in Beijing

Ming Dynasty Taiping Drum, an ancient and unique traditional musical instrument, has been passed down in Beijing since the Ming Dynasty.

Tai Ping Drum is also known as "Single Drum" and "Sheepskin Drum". It is a type of opera. Popular throughout the north. One of the Han folk dance forms. Performers are male. Actors holding iron bars made of about a foot in diameter, the drum surface covered with donkey skin round single drum, bamboo drum keys to beat the drum, singing and dancing. There are two types of songs: duet and group.

The lyrics are divided into "inner drums" and "outer drums": the former are the words that must be sung, and the latter can be added or subtracted from the auxiliary lyrics, which are mostly folklore and myths. In the old society, it was sometimes used for superstitious activities such as sacrifices and jumping to the gods. After the liberation, after the innovation, used to express the people's joyful and happy mood.

The dance instrument is a kind of one-sided drum with a handle, in the shape of a fan, framed by iron, covered with animal skin, and adorned with several small iron rings under the handle. Some drums are painted with figures, flowers and plants, and the drum frame is lined with pom-poms or peanut spikes. The dancer holds the drum in his left hand and a drum whip in his right hand, dancing and playing.

The "Taiping Drum" is mainly popular in the northern part of the country, and was prevalent in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Anhui Huaibei area called "Duan Gong Drum", "hi drums,; Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi area called "sheepskin drum", with the nature of the witch dance. Beijing's name is "New Year's Drum", born in October of the old calendar, after the city streets and alleys, children in groups of three to five, each other hit the peace drums, dong dong drums, can be heard everywhere.

Art collection

Beijing China Academy of Art Music Research Institute of Chinese Musical Instrument Museum collection of Taiping drums. Drum frame is fan-shaped, with a diameter of 0.6 centimeters of iron bent from the surface diameter of 40 centimeters, covered with sheepskin, under the iron drum handle, handle length of 10 centimeters, wrapped with rattan, handle under the large iron ring diameter of 16 centimeters, string diameter of 3 centimeters within the small iron ring 18. The drum whip is 44 centimeters long. The drum frame is decorated with colorful pom-poms.

It is included in the large picture album "Illustrated Guide to Chinese Musical Instruments". Another drum is larger, drum frame oval, 76 cm long diameter, short diameter of 70 cm, drum frame height 0.5 cm, sheepskin cover, skin painted images of the Eight Immortals. Drum frame under the wooden handle, handle length 15.5 centimeters, handle under the large iron ring diameter 15 centimeters, string diameter 5.5 centimeters small iron ring 13. The drum whip is 50 centimeters long.