 It takes 20 manual stages to create a Binh An brand drum. (Photo: baolongan.vn)
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One of the oldest traditional craft villages in Long An province, Binh An drum village was established in the late 9th century. Its drums are famous for their variety, durability, beauty, and resonance, which is unmatched by other drum-making villages.
A dozen families practice the craft, but the most famous is the Nguyen family. Nguyen Van Men owns the first drum-making facility in Binh An.
Nguyen Van An, Men’s son and the owner of the Tu An drum-making workshop, says it takes more than 20 manual steps to make a drum.
“The first step is to cut the wood into planks, followed by bending the planks into curved planks, shaving them, assembling the barrel, and finally polishing. After shaving the planks, the sun-dried curved planks are bound with a rattan hoop, screwed tightly together, and covered with leather. The sound of the bat nha (wisdom) drum and the bass drum is deep. Lion dance drums sound different and has a higher pitch. Its sound of must be resounding enough to urge the lion to jump,” said An.
The wood used to make Binh An drums is golden oak or jackfruit wood which is dried, cut, bent, and treated for termites before being assembled.
The most difficult step is to cover it with leather. The leather stretched for the drum-head must be the fresh skin of a buffalo 10 years old or more that is fresh from the slaughterhouse. Treated buffalo skin is absolutely banned.
 Nguyen Van An, known as Tu An, a fifth generation Binh An villager, is dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional craft of his ancestors. (Photo: Bui Giang/VNA)
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The drum maker must stretch the drum-head very skillfully to create a clear, resonant sound. The technique used to assemble the drum barrel and stretch the leather is what makes Binh An drums special.
Artisan Nguyen Van An said his family’s secret for making drums is that the drum barrel is tightly assembled using wooden pegs instead of glue.
An told VOV, “Today’s lion dance and dragon dance troupes demand drums of excellent craftsmanship. Our lion drums all have eye-catching designs. I’ve been making drums for years and have become trusted by my customers.”
Binh An drum village is busiest just before the Mid-Autumn and New Year Festivals. Bui Thi Phuong, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Binh Lang commune, said, “Last December the Nam Men lion drum was recognized as an OCOP product. This is an honor for Binh Lang commune. We’ll try to bring many more drum products to consumers.”