Xi’an wind and percussion ensemble: a timeless sound for modern world
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THE Xi’an wind and percussion ensemble is one of China’s oldest musical traditions, dating back more than 1,000 years to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
Recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009 as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it blends percussion, wind instruments and occasional male chorus.
The guan, a double-reed wind instrument, leads the melodies with its penetrating tone. Drums, gongs and the metallophone-tuned metal plates struck with mallets add bright resonant tones.
Once reserved for emperors, the music is now performed at temple fairs, funerals and public festivals.
It exists in two forms: sitting music, performed indoors, and walking music, performed outdoors in processions.
In sitting music, musicians perform with calm precision, each part clearly defined. In contrast, walking music is energetic, played while marching in unison.
The loud, steady beats fill public spaces, reflecting the music’s original purpose of communicating with both the living and the spirits.
The music is passed down through ancient manuscripts and oral tradition. Today, it is practiced in Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, by community troupes, conservatory students and cultural institutions.
At the heart of its preservation is the Dongcang Drum Music Society, led by Fan Bingnan, a veteran inheritor.
“The sound was slipping into silence,” Fan told Xinhua news agency. “We knew that if we did not pass it on, it would disappear.”
The group has trained new generations of performers, modernizing the music for stage shows and livestreams.
Training is demanding. Apprentices memorize the music and then practice the precise movements that accompany it.
“This is not just music; it’s a way of life,” said Fan. “It requires discipline, dedication and an understanding of our culture.”
For centuries, the ensemble was a male-only tradition. That changed in 2004 when the Dongcang society began admitting women.
Liu Yahong, one of the first women to be trained, now plays a key role in carrying the tradition forward.
Today, women make up a significant part of the ensemble. Liu, now a senior instructor, teaches new players, many of whom are also women.
“There’s a real beauty in the discipline and rigor of this tradition,” she noted.
UNESCO’s recognition has raised the ensemble’s global profile, securing funding for its preservation. Cultural exchange tours have also been essential in spreading the music internationally.
In June, the Ancient Music Orchestra of Xi’an International University performed at the prestigious Dresden Music Festival in Germany, earning wide acclaim.
Festival director Jan Vogler called the show “one of the major successes in the festival’s 47-year history,” saying it highlighted the unique charm of Chinese culture.
Dresden’s Deputy Mayor Annekatrin Klepsch said that the performance “not only captivated the audience but also strengthened cultural exchange.”
Over the past decade, the ensemble has performed across 20 provinces and regions in China and in more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea and Russia, attracting more than 100,000 viewers.
In July, the group also performed at the China Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan, where the audience gave a long round of applause after the final note.
The ensemble has also embraced digital platforms. The Dongcang society adapted to livestreaming, with viewership numbers soaring. Audiences from Europe, North America and Southeast Asia tuned in to performances in China.
“The response has been overwhelming,” said Fan. “Digital platforms allow us to bridge the gap between the local and the global.”
Education has been crucial in preserving the tradition. The Xi’an Conservatory of Music now includes the ensemble’s music in its curriculum, training new generations of musicians.
Local schools also teach students about the music and its instruments, with support from the local government funding performances, festivals and community workshops.
In rural Xi’an, villagers continue to perform the music at funerals and festivals, believing the rhythms connect the living with their ancestors. Apprentices learn by observing masters and repeating the beats until they are ready to perform in public.
The last note of each piece is not improvised but carefully composed centuries ago. When it falls, the room turns quiet. That silence, too, is part of the tradition, a reminder that the music is not just a performance but the preservation of memory.
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