China · Musical Instrument Making / Ritual Object
苗族木鼓制作 (Miáozú Mù Gǔ Zhìzuò)
The Miao wooden drum (木鼓 mù gǔ) is a hollowed-log ceremonial drum central to the Miao Drum Festival (苗族鼓藏节 Miáozú Gǔ Cáng Jié) — held once every 13 years and inscribed on China's National ICH List. The drum is made from a single Catalpa or Tung tree trunk, hollowed through a combination of fire and chisel technique, with the hollow interior shaped to produce a specific resonant pitch. The acoustic calibration process — adjusting wall thickness by listening to the drum's resonance as it is hollowed — is the defining tacit knowledge, and the drum maker must achieve a target pitch (specific to each village's ceremonial tradition) without any measuring instrument. The ritual context means the drum maker also holds ceremonial knowledge — the making process is accompanied by ritual protocols that are inseparable from the craft procedure.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Miao Drum Festival on China National ICH List (2006)
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