Bench (pinyin: Bǎndèng) is a musical instrument of the Miao people. Popular in Xingren, Xingyi, Zhenfeng, Leishan, Huangping and other places in Guizhou Province. Most of them are made of hard wood. The surface of the stool is generally 22 cm to 30 cm in length and 12 cm to 15 cm in width. There are various styles of legs, and the height of the stool is about 20 cm. There is a crossbar between the legs of the stool, which can be held by hand. Two for one pair.
When playing, the left and right hands hold a bench and collide with each other to pronounce. The timbre is crisp and loud, and there is no fixed pitch. It is mostly used for folk dance bench dance and bench copper drum accompaniment on festivals, festive occasions and other occasions. From the third to the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, it is the annual "moon-jumping festival" in Xingren and other places. All families, men, women and children, bring their home benches to the square to dance the bench dance together. Several urns of wine are prepared on the dance floor, and a smart girl is selected to serve the wine. Dozens of young men and women dance with benches in both hands, and use the bench to beat the festival and dance steps as the wine order.