It spreads in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, and Lâm Đồng. The UNESCO recognized it as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 25, 2005.

The gong culture sees gongs as a privileged connection between men and the supernatural, where each gong houses a deity whose power corresponds to the gong's age.

It has been strongly affected by economic and social transformations that disrupted the traditional transfer of knowledge and stripped the gongs of their spiritual significance.