Percussion remains a major part of Chinese culture today, being used in celebrations of harvest, marriage and in operatic music. An example is the traditional lion-dance drumming and in dragon-boat races.

Drums

Drums have always been an important cornerstone of civilization. Historically, drums were used in battle boosting the morale of soldiers, as ceremonial sacrifices in funeral offerings and in religious ceremonies throughout the world. Archeological evidence from the ruins of Hubei civilization and other dig sites show that the art of drum making was present in China three to four thousands years ago. The character of 'drum' was first found in the inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty. Types of Chinese drums vary greatly from region to region, made with varying materials and techniques. Such materials include python skin, buffalo hide, clay, porcelain and even bronze.

Gong

Chinese gongs are made of high-tin bronze, hammered into a sifter shape. Its central resonating area can be either flat or convex. Its history can be traced back to the early Western Han period (206BC-AD 24) according to an archaeological find from a tomb of that period in Guangxi. In the Tang text (618-907) it is called Shaluo (sand gong), the earlier evidence in classical literature. A combination of the gongs is used in the instruments Shimianluo (10 gongs) and Yunluo. The Dashuailuo has become a commonly used instrument in Western music to create special effects.

Cymbal

The cymbal was introduced to China about A.D. 350. Modern cymbals are made of bronze with a round hump in the center. Chinese cymbals usually come in pairs and are able to produce a multitude of sounds when hit against each other in various ways. For example, the cymbals can be muffled, hit against each other at various angles, scrapped, or hit and held closely to each other to produce a roll.

Bianzhong (Set of Bells) and Bianqing

Bianzhong is a series of bells which are hung on massive wooden beams, which support the weight of the heavy metal bells. The first Bianzhong were made from clay, 4000 years ago, then from copper in the Shang Dynasty (1600 - 1046 BC). In the Zhou Dynasty (1046 - 256 BC), beautifully decorated bronze Bianzhong became the centerpieces of court music in sets numbering from 6 to 65. In 1978, the first known extant set of 65 Bianzhong was unearthed by Chinese archaeologists from the tomb of the Warring States (475 - 221 BC) Marquis of Zeng ??. These bells are extremely unique as each bell is able to produce two pitches a third apart (i.e. D and F) and have been widely studied by physicists and musicologists.

The Bianqing is a series of marble or jade slabs, which are arranged with the sharps (black keys on the piano) on the left and the others (the white keys) on the right. Each slab is struck precisely to produce clear ringing tones. Both instruments were used in court music for ceremonial purposes and to accompany dancers in music.