Ritual Vessel: Dangzi

Dangzi is a ritual percussion instrument, and used together with the woodblock muyu. It is sounded by hitting a small mallet against a bronze disc. In a salvation ritual, the Inspector of Fasts usually plays the dangzi in tandem with the Chief Cantor who plays the muyu to guide the tempo of scripture chanting. This exhibit is an early ritual vessel from Sanyuan Temple in Guangzhou, now kept in Fung Ying Seen Koon.