The Mapang Drum Tower is located in Mapang Village, 28 kilometers (over 17 miles) away from Sanjiang County. Of the approximately 160 drum towers which still exist in the region around Sanjiang County of Guangxi Province, the Mapang Drum Tower is the most famous.
The original Mapang Drum Tower was constructed during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and over the years has been damaged by fire several times. The drum tower that you see was rebuilt in 1943. It is especially elaborate; standing 13 stories high, decorated with carved dragons, phoenixes, flowers and birds.
The Mapang Drum Tower, whose base is 169 square meters (about 0.04 acres), possesses all the typical architectural features of Dong drum towers. The tower has nine upturned eaves, and each eave is carved with flowers, grass, fish, birds, and characters. As soon as you enter the Mapang Drum Tower, you will see four indoor pillars made of fir that extend all the way to the top floor. Surrounding the four pillars are a group of twelve mid-sized pillars symbolizing prosperity for the village during the twelve months of the year. Upstairs on the second floor, you will see the most important and precious object in the Drum Tower- a large skin drum that gives Drum Towers their name. The drum is used to summon the villagers if something urgent happens in the village.
Ordinarily, the tower is a place for the villagers to relax, hold ceremonies, greet guests, and do some recreation activities. But it is also used as a meeting room to discuss the important issues of the village. During festivals, the villagers will gather together in front of the Mapang Drum Tower, singing, dancing and performing on the lusheng, which is a reed pipe wind instrument used by the Dong Ethnic People.
Dong Villages
Zhaoxing Tang'An Chengyang
Culture of Dongs
Sanyuejie Festival Marriage Customs Music New Year Traditional costumes
Drum Towers Flower Bridges Lusheng Festival
Dong Houses Carrying the Governors Parade
Drama Rice Planting Traditional Common Law Worship the Goddess Sa Sui
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