In the remote ethnic Yao village of Huaili, deep in southwest China, large bronze drums are alive. They make a sound that the Yao believe speaks to the heavens, opening the path for the souls of deceased villagers to reach their afterlife ancestral land. Beyond their funereal uses, bronze drums are valued by the Yao for their believed anthropomorphic role as protectors of households. When the Chinese government steps in to commercialize this sacred heritage, the rituals of the bronze drum take a new turn. Huaili and the ethnic culture of the Yao fall under the tourists’ gaze. The bronze drum transforms into an icon for staged public performances. The Yao are forced to navigate new pressures from both the government and the tourist market in order to uphold an unbroken tradition. “Bang the Drum” traces one of the paths that cultural heritage is taking in a changing China.