July 29, 2008
The Gong Song
The Gong is a musical instrument commonly found in South East Asian countries. The gong is used for a myriad of occasions such as wedding ceremonies, sports events, political meetings and many other occasions. According to ancient beliefs having a gong inside the house is considered a sign of wealth and good fortune. Banging a gong is said to drive away bad spirits and bad fortune as well. Banging the gong, in Chinese tradition is used to announce the arrival of an important person. You will notice this from the animated movie Mulan when she and Mushu, the ever loyal dragon sidekick, bang the gong to pay respects and call on their dead elders. Gongs are ever-present musical instruments in China, Japan and in most Buddhist countries.