Qin and Han War Drums

Shaanxi
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Ancient people fought with drums to cheer them up. It is said that the war drums of the Qin and Han dynasties were passed down by the flag bearer of Qin Shihuang. Qin Shihuang swept across the six kingdoms and Liu Bang conquered the world with this drum tune, hence the name. The war drums of the Qin and Han dynasties have been passed down to this day for about two thousand years. The war drums of the Qin and Han dynasties are an intangible cultural heritage of Shaanxi Province. They are spread in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province. The villagers of the flag bearer village at the foot of the Hanyang Mausoleum have been playing this drum tune during festivals. The war drums of the Qin and Han dynasties added to the festive atmosphere and also expressed the love, yearning and pursuit of the Han working people for a better life. The drum lineup ranged from thirty to fifty people to hundreds of people, wearing ancient generals' uniforms. There was a large flag with the word "Qin" behind the main drum, and several auxiliary drums to help beat it. Hundreds of gongs followed the drum tune. The Qin and Han war drums are divided into three parts: the first part is the expedition song, also called the slow three-fire, which is melodious, majestic and solemn, and sounds like a well-prepared army, ready to win a thousand miles away at any time; the second part is the battle song, also called the tight three-fire, also called the duck quarrel, which is compact and fierce, overwhelming, fierce and high-pitched, shocking and inspiring morale. The third part: the triumphal song, also called the slow and steady three-fire, is unrestrained and cheerful, as if the soldiers defeated the enemy and returned with a full load. The Qin and Han war drum tunes fully reproduced the magnificent momentum of the Qin Dynasty war music through the three-part tune of "examination, battle, and triumph" and the formations of the Eight Diagrams, Three Stars Town, Five Stars Town, and Seven Stars, and the "star-chasing club, moon-grabbing club, sky-high club, and earth-shaking club" for commanding operations, which plays an important role in studying the military culture of the Qin Dynasty in China.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage