Dongba (pinyin: dòng bā) is a double-reed gas-sounding instrument of the Jingpo people. "Dongba" is a transliteration of the Jingpo branch of the Jingpo ethnic group, which means a pipe flute with horns in Chinese. The Zaiwa branch language is called Biche or Bik. It is popular in Luxi, Yingjiang, Longchuan, Ruili and other places in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province.
The shape is similar to that of a suona, consisting of a tube body, a reed whistle, a core and a bell mouth. Sizes vary, and the common ones are about 5.2 cm in length. The tube body is made of softer wood or copper. The folks mostly use millet fruit wood or salt fruit wood produced locally. The upper part is thin and the lower part is thick. The outer diameter of the tail is about 4 cm. There are five or six circular sound holes on the body of the tube, all of which have a back hole, and most of them are six holes. The spring whistle is made of wheat straw or rice straw. It is flat on the top and round on the bottom. The core is made of wood, in the form of a hollow cone, with a spring whistle at the upper end, and the lower end inserted into the upper end of the tube head, and a hollow chicken feather tube is also used as the core. The bell mouth is the resonator of the dongba, which is made of hollowed out horns or wood, and is generally 10 cm to 15 cm in length. The dongba at the mouth of the horn is also known as Erong Dongba by the Jingpo people.
When playing, the body of the pipe is placed vertically, with both hands holding the pipe, the left hand on the top, the thumb on the back hole, the index finger, middle finger and ring finger on the three holes on the front, the right hand on the bottom, the index finger and middle finger on the bottom two holes on the front, and the mouth contains a reed whistle to play. Can be used for solo, instrumental ensemble or singing and dancing accompaniment. It is often used in festival celebrations or large-scale songs and dances, and is the main instrument of the accompaniment band of the traditional song and dance "Munao Zongge". On the day of the Munao Festival, the annual grand festival of the Jingpo people, the old and young in Bailishan Township gathered, dressed in costumes, sang and danced, and the musicians played the dongba, leading the accompaniment band. Zengjiang, He cymbals, and the elephant-foot drum player headed by them are the lead dancers of the mass dance team. This lively and joyous scene is spectacular.