Cymbals- Chinese Traditional Musical Instruments

25. Bo -- Cymbals- Percussion Instrument

This instrument is used and often in Sichuan Opera. Sichuan Opera is quite raucous and has lots of percussion instruments to accent the movements of the actors. We enjoy Sichuan Opera and it is popular in the west. This one hangs in our Great Room and Paul loves to clang it on occasion.

They were frequently used in Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907) with varying designs. Now it is commonly made of high-tin bronze.

The performer strikes the pair together. The most common type now is the Jingbo (the prefix jing referring to Beijing), a name from the instruments use in the Peking opera. This type is clear and forceful in tone quality. It is also used in other regional opera genres and instrumental ensembles, and is one of the four major instruments (drum, large and small gongs, and cymbals) in the jubilant Luogu (gong and drum) music. In local operas the instruments is often for the accompaniment of acrobatics fighting.