Today in Asia gongs are used by Buddhists for sacred purposes in temples and palaces, private homes and public places, and as in the West, play a part in orchestral music. The Wuhan Province in China is famous for the making of authentic Tam Tam Gongs. The Gongs that I import are from the Wuhan Province.
The existence of the Gong dates back to the Bronze Age around 3500 BC. Evidence suggests that Gongs also existed at this time in Mesopotamia. Myth has it that sacred gongs included pieces of meteorites that fell from heaven. Chinese tradition says the Gong originated in the 6th century, in the country of Hsi Yu, between what is now Myanmar & Tibet. Gongs were used for ceremonial functions & healing rituals.
By the 9th century Gongs migrated from China to Java. The name ‘gong’ comes from Java which was one of the major gong producing centres along with Myanmar, China & Annam. Despite their use in the Roman era around 100 AD, gongs migrated from Asia to Africa & were introduced to the West in the late 18th century, when a few composers started to include the Gong into their compositions.