Yaoling (pinyin: Yáo líng) is a vibrating body-sounding instrument of the Yao people. The Yao people call the bell. Popular in Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, Napo County and other places in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The body of the bell is cast in bronze. The shape is like a bell, and the shape varies according to the popular area.
The Yao bell from Jinxiu County has a short body, a height of 5 cm, an olive-shaped end face of the bell, a long diameter of 4.5 cm and a short diameter of 3.5 cm. There is a convex edge on the edge of the bell mouth. The top of the bell is cast with a bell ear with a height of 1 cm, and a hole is drilled in the middle to tie a rope or silk cloth; the Yao bell from Napo County has a slightly larger body, 8 cm high, a round and flat bell mouth, a diameter of 10 cm, and a bell with a diameter of 10 cm. There is a clapper hanging inside, and the top and surrounding of the bell body are cast with exquisite patterns. The top of the bell body is set with a wooden bell handle, the handle is 15 cm long, the handle end is decorated with a trident, and the outer surface of the handle body is wrapped with silk.
When playing, hold the bell handle or the bell ear to play, and the bell tongue hits the bell wall to make a sound, and the sound is crisp and pleasant. It is often played in conjunction with musical instruments such as bee drums, gongs, and cymbals, and is used in activities such as Master Pan Wang and Du Jie.