Chao gong is the most famous one in our Chinese traditional percussion instruments. Many Westerners like Chinese Chao gong and Wind gong very much.

The Chao gong is made of electrolytic copper and tin. It is almost flat except for the rim, which is turned up to make a shallow cylinder. On a 10" (25 cms) gong, for example, the rim extends about a half an inch perpendicular to the gong surface. The main surface is slightly concave when viewed from the direction to which the rim is turned. The centre spot and the rim of a Chao gong are left coated on both sides with the black copper oxide that forms during the manufacture of the gong. The rest of the gong is polished to remove this coating. Chao gongs range in size from 7" to 80" (18 – 200 cms) in diameter.

The earliest Chao gong is from a tomb discovered at the Guixian site in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. It dates from the early Western Han Dynasty. They were known for their very intense and spiritual drumming in rituals and tribal meetings.

Traditionally, Chao gongs were used to clear the way for important officials and processions, much like a police siren today. Sometimes the number of strokes on the gong was used to indicate the seniority of the official. In this way, two officials meeting unexpectedly on the road would know before the meeting which of them should bow down before the other.