The drum music of southeastern Shandong is an important genre of music in the province. It is a folk art form that features the traditional suona (double-reeded horn) as its main instrument and Jiaxiang county is one of the main areas where the music is found.

According to historical records, the Wushi Mausoleums in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) was the site where performances were staged with music played by instruments such as the flute and horn drum.

The drum music features a unique style, which is simple and bold, high and passionate. To date, over 200 traditional repertoires have been discovered including representative works such as The Song of the Phoenix and The Wedding Song.

The main instruments of the drum music are wind instruments incorporating the suona, flute, sheng and pipe that play the main melody, and percussion instruments including the big drum, bangzi, wooden fish and bells to complete the rhythm of the music.

In 1996, Jiaxiang county was named by the Ministry of Culture as the hometown of China’s folk art suona.

In 2006, the drum music was listed as the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage representative works.

A local orchestra performs the drum music of southeastern Shandong on Oct 20 in Jiaxiang county, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A foreign reporter tries her hands on the traditional music instrument in Jiaxiang county, Shandong province, Oct 20. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]