Jiangsu provincial level non-material heritage conservation project, Liuzuo ensemble of Chinese wind and percussion instruments (Liuzuo Bass Drum) originated from Changlu, Luhe, Nanjing. Changlu is located in the southeast of Luhe County, and on the Yangtze River in the north; it is a water and land traffic arteries leading to Jinling from Jiangbei in the ancient times and a politically diverse battleground state for generations, and the produce and development of Liuzuo Bass Drum has close relation to the ancient station troops in the camp. It is said that Luo Jiajiang in sui and tang dynasties period (about 1300 years ago) had millions of station troops to camp in Liuzuo, Liuzhong and Liuyou in Changlu, Luhe. Because Luo Jiajiang loved the people and was good at morality to the war, fighting repeatedly and winning every battle, and they were loved by their people and the people often killed pig or slaughtered sheep to treat soldiers, banging away to camp, with the military’s salvo to show the gratitude. Thus, this forms Liuzuo ensemble of Chinese wind and percussion instruments that has been inherited by now. With grass-root cultural workers’ exploration for many years, the consultant from Chinese Association of Percussion, Mr. Pei Deyi adapted to create the new performance of Liuzuo Bass Drum on the basis of Daqu and Xiaoqu. Therefore, Liuzuo ensemble of Chinese wind and percussion instruments (Liuzuo Bass Drum) has important research value in the history of ethnic percussion, and is the historical memory of military and folk situation.

Nanjing left Liuzuo Bass Drum Performance Group for this visit was established in 2002, which was awarded”Jiangsu province characteristic cultural team” by Jiangsu province cultural department in 2007, with the existing members of more than 50. Through unceasing inheritance and development, with the support of cultural departments at all levels in Luhe, in 2007, Liuzuo Bass Drum was listed on the first batch of Jiangsu province non-material cultural heritage protection by Jiangsu province people’s government; in 2011, it won the highest award of the 10th China folk literature and art—Shanhua Prize. As the cultural card of Luhe, Nanjing, it has repeatedly taken the domestic exchange performance.

The group takes Liuzuo Bass Drum Performance as the leading one, including 118 pieces of percussion instruments in music by 46 performers who take turns to play. Sometimes, it shows the atmosphere of killing avalanche, sometimes gives graceful and cheerful sound, with both the unison of drums, gongs, cymbals and the percussion of tricks and drum together, and the luhe folk song “jasmine” melody made by 48-face plum gong that is a euphemism beautiful symbol of Nanjing city flower. In 26 drums, the diameter of the largest drum is 2.2 meters, which is 1.8 meters high with the 430 kg weight, and is known as the Jinling first drum. It and three large gongs, as well as the high and low percussion instruments supplement each other, impressively. Also, it includes the Nanjing local outstanding folk programs with the unique characteristics. The whole performance takes about 70 minutes, and will bring you a Chinese folk performance with originally unique characteristics.