What is Plum Blossom Drum?

The Plum Blossom Drum, also known as the Plum Blossom Tune, is derived from the Qingkou Drum of Beijing in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, and is popular in the Beijing-Tianjin area. Plum Blossom Drums are sung in seven-character and cross phrases, with three basic patterns: slow, two-six, and upper, and three basic cantatas named after these three patterns. Sometimes, the singing is interspersed with some songs, such as Taiping Nian and Yin Nuosi, etc. The actors play the drums themselves, accompanied by the music of the drums. The actors play their own drums, accompanied by instruments such as the three strings, the four hu, the pipa, and the yangqin. The traditional repertoire of Plum Blossom Drums includes a number of songs from Dream of Red Mansions, such as Tang Qingwen, Persuading Daiyu, Daiyu's Sorrowful Autumn, Daiyu's Burial of Flowers, and Baoyu's Visits to the Diseased.