Bronze Drum Museum

Bronze Drum Museum

The bronze drum culture is an important part of the Zhuang ethnic culture. The bronze drum is a treasured gem of the Donglan ethnic culture, with a history of over two thousand years in Donglan County. Almost every village along the Hongshui River has bronze drums among the Zhuang people. During festivals, weddings, and funerals, the bronze drums are played to celebrate joy and prosperity. The villages along both banks of the Hongshui River are a region richly steeped in the bronze drum culture and art of the Donglan Zhuang people. According to statistics, there are currently more than 2,400 ancient bronze drums housed in museums worldwide, including 1,400 in China, over 900 in Guangxi, and as many as 612 in Donglan County alone.

The bronze drum is a sacred object in the hearts of the Zhuang and Yao peoples in Donglan. The long history, wide spread, and profound influence of the bronze drum culture are rare in the world. In recent years, Donglan bronze drums have stepped beyond the mountains and performed multiple times on county, city, and autonomous region stages. They have participated in TV dramas and special programs such as *China Has a Red Water River* and CCTV’s *Zhuang Brocade Presented to Chairman Mao*. They have also performed at a series of celebratory events, including the opening ceremony of the 4th National Games, the 1st China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival and Guilin Landscape Festival, the “Chinese Drum King” Competition, and the opening ceremony of the Nanning International Folk Song Festival. The ancient Donglan bronze drums, with their unique charm, have gained fame across the country. In May 2004, they were officially named the “Hometown of Bronze Drum Art in Guangxi” by the Autonomous Region Department of Culture.

In April 2006, Donglan bronze drums were included in the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Once completed, the Guangxi Bronze Drum Museum will become a world-class specialized museum for bronze drum culture; a research center for bronze drum culture and art in China and around the world; and a base for the study of bronze drum casting techniques and cultural heritage. It will provide a platform for the display and exchange of Guangxi's bronze drum culture.