Crimson Cord of Lao Che's Three-Meter Brass Gong

Thick crimson cord suspending the massive three-meter brass gong above Lao Che's nightclub ballroom floor. The cord is integral to the gong's mechanical support, and its slashing during Wu Han's assassination triggers the gong's release, transforming it into an improvised shield that ricochets bullets and enables Indiana Jones and Willie Scott's escape through a stained-glass window. Earlier, the gong is struck by a muscular slave to spotlight Indiana Jones's dramatic entrance during the tense exchange over Nurhachi's ashes and the diamond.

2 appearances

Purpose

Ceremonial instrument struck during nightclub performances to punctuate dramatic moments

Significance

Boom signals Indy's arrival in the high-stakes deal, heightens tension before betrayal and gunfire erupt, transforming the opulent ballroom into chaos

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

The Golden Gong's Web

The seven‑foot golden gong serves as the central alarm node—its suspended presence announces ceremonial grandeur while the hammer above and threads attached to it form a sensitive trip network. Indy studies the gong not as a musical object but as the mechanical heart of the museum's security, using its position to infer trigger architecture and blind spots.

Before: Suspended from the ceiling, pristine and intact, configured as the central element of the alarm system.

After: Untouched and still suspended; remains primed as the alarm's central node.

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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Rolling Gong Escape

The seven‑foot ceremonial gong is forcibly removed from its hook by Indy, crashes to the floor, and is rolled as an improvised mobile shield. Its mass chips marble, alters the room’s acoustics, and converts incoming fire into noisy ricochets that both physically block bullets and create a distracting sonic cover for Indy’s dash to the skylight.

Before: Hanging mounted on its hook high in the gallery as a display piece.

After: Dislodged, lying on its side after impact, then rolled across the floor where it is stopped by a marble bench near the high window; dented/chipped from impact and struck repeatedly by bullets.

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