Gate Drums

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These are a pair of stone Gate Drums at the hutong of Nan Luogu Xiang (means the SouthGong and Drum Alley) of Beijing. Again, it is one of the symbols of power and wealth ofofficials in ancient China, and the size of and the patterns on the drums entirely depend onthe political and economic position of their owners.There are two things that most people wonder.Why people have built drums at the gate? In other word, what is the significance of “drumswhen they are at the gate”? Ancient Chinese people relied on objects of certain symbolising meanings to “ward off evil spirits and bringin good fortunes”. This was even more important for the royal empire and the officials.Similarly, people thought that drums, with its thunder-like sound when beaten, could scareaway and defeat evil things and defend for the house at the gate. The patterns on thesedrums are “auspicious clouds”, meaning that fortunes and luck would be brought by cloudsin the sky.The second thing you might ask is why they appear as a pair and in perfect symmetry. Oneof the important traditions in Chinese culture is to appreciate the beauty and significance of“symmetry”. “Symmetry” stands for “matching”, meaning that a person’s social positionmatches their family background. Symmetry also means “balancing” and “neutral”, meaningthat a person who can stand in the middle and balance things well on their left and rightshould take the power and to rule.

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