Beats of the land – Artist’s persistence saves ethnic heritage

By He Jianwei
Percussion instruments are the oldest of any traditional instrument in China.
The earliest archaeological evidence of Chinese percussion music was discovered in Shanxi Province, where massive drums were made to celebrate the triumph of Li Shimin’s army durig Tang Dynasty (618-907). Drumming in Shanxi Province can be dated back centuries earlier to Xinjiang County, the ancient name of Jiangzhou, in present-day Shanxi Province.
Since 1988, the former director of Xinjiang Culture Museum has been taking his troupe of drumming villagers on tours of world stages, showing both classical culture and an endangered heritage.
The troupe, which combines ancient drumming with modern theatrics, will soon be taking the stage in Beijing to present their new art.