There are different legends about the appearance of the unique style of bronze ware in different ethnic groups.

In the memory of the Wa people, it was a long, long time ago, in a high mountain in the Ximeng region of Yunnan, there was a lake with beautiful scenery, and in the lake lived a pair of frogs who collected the essence of the sun and the moon and cultivated to perfection. Although the frog couple lived a leisurely life in this fairyland-like environment, they had a regret that they had no offspring. One day, the frog spirit caught a passerby and ate him. Unexpectedly, the female frog was pregnant because of this.
In October, she conceived and gave birth to a son, but it was a human being. Since then, it has never been accepted, and a total of nine boys and nine girls have been born. When they grow up, they marry and reproduce on their own. When the frog spirits passed away, they were already full of children and grandchildren, and the population was prosperous. In order to commemorate their ancestors, these descendants cast bronze drums and cast frogs on the drum surface to keep them in mind. From then on, there is the bronze drum we see today. In the legends of the Yi people, the origin of the bronze drum is closer to reality. They say that in the very early days, the ancestors of the Yi people lived in a place with beautiful mountains and rivers and rich products. In addition to various grains and fruits on the ground, the underground was also rich in metals such as gold, silver, copper, iron, etc., especially brass. , All over the mountains and plains, you can find it everywhere.
Therefore, people in this area take Huang as their surname. Because they live in scattered places, in order to facilitate the gathering of everyone, they have tried many methods, but the results are not satisfactory. In the end, their Papi (the head man) thought of the brass that covered the mountains and fields, and made a drum out of it. When he beat it, the sound was extremely loud, the mountains reverberated, and the sound shook the fields. Since the bronze drum, people can work together on time during the day, listen to the drum at night and sing and dance around the bonfire to enjoy themselves. In the event of war, the bronze drum rang, echoing from all directions, and the enemy was horrified. Therefore, the bronze drum has received more and more attention.

Bronze drums are not only the drumbeats in the festive activities, but also the cheering horns in the fierce battle of the army. In the wars of ethnic minorities, the number of bronze drums and the sound of drums often represent the rise and fall of the army and the strength of its strength. Just imagine how important it is to boost morale on the battlefield where thousands of troops are fighting fiercely.
Bronze ware is also an important ritual instrument in the social life of the southern minorities, a symbol of power and a representative of wealth. It is quite a bit like the status of the early bronze tripods in the Central Plains.