Bells and drums emerged early in China's history, a fact confirmed by the China's first ancient poem collection Classics of Poetry, which includes verses about bell and drum performances. When the Buddhism was introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220), bells and the drums gradually played a more important role in Buddhist ceremony. Generally, every Buddhist temple had a bell tower on its east side and a drum tower on its west side. Every day before the dawn, the bell would be struck and after the dusk, the drum would be struck again to assemble the Buddhist monks to recite scripture.
Bell
Ancient percussion instruments prevailed during the Bronze Age because of highly developed smelting and casting skills and acoustics. Thanks to the stability and corrosion-resistant nature of the bronze used, ancient sounds are still made when the bell is struck even after over a thousand years.
In ancient times, the bell served not only as an instrument but also as a sacrificial vessel representing status and power. It was widely used in various ceremonies, banquets, and daily performances.
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