World's largest drum formally debuts in SW China

A ritual ceremony is held with local ethnic people playing instruments. [Photo by He Guiming/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Born into a family of blacksmiths, Wei Qichu and his brother Wei Qican have been in the drum-making business for over 20 years, creating the casting process of producing gigantic bronze drums.

Over the past decade, they have made bronze drums of different sizes, which have been sold to Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. They also get international orders, for instance, businessmen from Russia ordered 8,000 bronze drum ornaments at the recent 14th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair.

As reported, the huge drum is made with one-time casting and is decorated with four frog-shaped sculptures, designs of Maonan folk dancers and Nuo dancers and a pattern of Sanjiegong, the most important god and the main patron saint in Maonan ethnic group.

The drum is deemed as a tribute to the 30th anniversary of the Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county and was funded by people from all walks of life.

Bronze drums, showing the combination of aesthetics and functionality, symbolize power and wealth in ancient times and are believed to bring good luck and ward off calamities.

Bronze drum culture is still popular in Southwest China, including Guangxi and its two bordering provinces, Yunnan and Guizhou.