Why is Guangxi Beiliu called the hometown of the world bronze drum king?

Since the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, which was written in the middle of the 5th century, China has recorded bronze drums for more than 1500 years. 1705, the Dutch Romphil brought a bronze drum from Indonesia to Europe, and Europeans began to pay attention to this bronze instrument. In foreign countries, Franz Hegel, an Austrian, was the first scholar to systematically study bronze drums. In his book Ancient Metal Drum in Southeast Asia written in 1902, he first explained the types of bronze drums, which are still used by some scholars.

Tonggu originated in Erhai Lake and Lijiang River Basin in Yunnan. After people have had enough to eat and drink, they turn the copper pot for cooking upside down, knock on the bottom of the pot and entertain themselves by singing and dancing. Later, the copper pot was improved and became a special musical instrument. This is the early bronze drum of Wanjiaba (named after the ancient tomb of Wanjiaba in Chuxiong County, Yunnan Province).

The early bronze drums spread eastward around Dianchi Lake, and the Dian people further beautified the shape and decoration, casting exquisite bronze drums of Shizhaishan style (named after the unearthed address of Shizhaishan ancient tombs in Jinning County, Yunnan Province). This bronze drum is symmetrical, harmonious and ornate, symbolizing the ruling authority of King Dian and other "Rebels" and "Hou Wang".

Archaeological evidence shows that bronze drums spread eastward along the river. By the late Spring and Autumn Period, some Yue people in Lingnan began to cast bronze drums, and the earliest bronze drum in Guangxi was found in Youjiang River Basin. From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty 1 century to the 7th century, it became the heyday of bronze drums. After the bronze drums in Shizhaishan, various new types of bronze drums sprang up like mushrooms after rain. The bronze drum gradually evolved in the route of eastward development. After entering Guangxi, it blended with the unique aesthetic taste of the local people, and finally formed the prosperity of casting and using bronze drums in Guangxi.

Judging from the bronze drums circulated and unearthed, Guangxi is the province with the largest number of existing bronze drums. According to statistics, there are more than 500 bronze drums in Guangxi, accounting for about one-third of the total number of bronze drums in China. It is also the province with the largest variety of bronze drums. There are eight kinds of bronze drums and seven kinds in Guangxi. Among them, Beiliu, Lingshan and Lengshuichong are named after the unearthed sites in Guangxi.