大约在公元前7世纪前后，生活在中国珠江流域的濮人从炊具铜釜中创造了打击乐器铜鼓。此后铜鼓向北传入四川邛都，向东传入贵州和广西、广东，向南传入越南北部，向西传入缅甸、泰国，至今铜鼓已流传了两千多年，在大部分地区和众多的民族中已相继退出历史舞台，只留下某些遗迹和历史的回忆，但仍有一部分地区和民族还保存着使用铜鼓的古老习俗，为绵延千古的铜鼓文化留下了“活化石”。
Around the 7th century BC, Pu people living in the Pearl River Valley of China created the percussion instrument bronze drum from the cooker copper kettle. Since then, it has spread to qiongdu, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Guangdong to the East, North Vietnam to the south, Myanmar and Thailand to the West. It has been spread for more than 2000 years. It has been withdrawn from the stage of history in most areas and many ethnic groups, leaving only some traces and historical memories. However, some areas and ethnic groups still retain the ancient use of bronze drums The old custom has left a "living fossil" for the long history of the bronze drum culture.
贵州南部和广西西北部接壤的红水河流域是保留铜鼓文化最丰富的地区，还在使用铜鼓的民族主要有属壮侗语族的壮族、布依族、傣族、侗族、水族，属苗瑶语族的苗族、瑶族和属藏缅语族的彝族。铜鼓在失去权力象征的功能之后回到民众中，至今仍在民间使用，成为一种活着的文化遗存。
Hongshuihe river basin, which borders on the south of Guizhou and the northwest of Guangxi, is the area with the most abundant culture of bronze drum. The ethnic groups still using bronze drum are mainly Zhuang, Buyi, Dai, Dong and Shui, Miao, Yao and Yi. After losing the function of power symbol, the bronze drum returned to the people and is still used by the people, becoming a living cultural heritage.
红水河流域各民族的传统文化活动都使用铜鼓，铜鼓成为这些民族现存文化传统的活见证，从不同侧面反映了红水河流域使用铜鼓民族的经济状况、文化面貌和心理素质，以及他们在漫长的历史进程中为适应自然环境而产生的独特创造力。
The traditional cultural activities of all ethnic groups in the Hongshui River basin use the bronze drum, which has become a living witness of their existing cultural traditions. It reflects the economic situation, cultural outlook and psychological quality of the ethnic groups using the bronze drum in the Hongshui River Basin from different aspects, as well as their unique creativity to adapt to the natural environment in the long historical process.