The elephant-foot drum is a classic musical instrument of the Dai people. The drum-making skill (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产)in 2011.
The elephant-foot drum dance is very popular with the Dai people. It is often performed during festivals. And it is way for the Dai people to show their joy as well as their village culture.
Xiè Wenping, 32, used to learn how to make a drum from his grandfather made elephant-foot drums for a living. "At a young age, I decided to make more and (good) drums, "Xie said.
While elephant-foot drums carry great cultural (important), making an elephant-foot drum is no easy task. "It takes about thirty (step), "Xie explained.
The repetition(重复)of the work might not be (excite), but whenever Xie sees his grandfather's smile while making the drum, he feels encouraged again. "Over the years the number of people skilled in making elephant-foot drums (go) down, "Xie said. "I feel like it's my responsibility to carry it on. "
Xie is creatiye in the form of the drum. To make easier for the elephant-foot drum to spread to places outside Yunnan, Xie came up the idea of making a mini version(版本)of the drum and designed(设计)key chains shaped like the elephant-foot drum.
