Trống đồng Ngọc Lư  
   
   
   
At the beginning of 20th century, archaeologists from the Ecole francaise de l'Extreme Orient discovered a large number of objects from the Bronze age in the valley of the Mã river, notably in the Ðồng Sơn village. Among these discoveries appeared musical instruments, drums in particular. They are decorated with figurative patterns representing styled animals and the scene of daily life.  
     
     
     
   
 
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But the most remarkable of these drums remains the one of Ngọc Lư. This drum is a cylinder of 63cm high and 79cm in diameter. One can say it is the most beautiful drum found in Asia at the time. On the upper face are patterns mixed with varied subjects at ritual vocation: herds of deer, aquatic birds, houses on piles etc...

It is because of these musical instruments that the Ðồng Sơn culture was nicknamed the culture of bronze drums. The first drums were discovered at Phú Lý in 1902. Despite its Indonesian form, they still keep a notable influence from the south of China.