The Man Safeguarding the Soul of Doi Tam Drums

Through more than 1,000 years of formation and development, the Doi Tam drum-making village in Tien Sơn Commune, Duy Tien District, Ha Nam Province (now part of Ninh Binh Province) has been renowned as a cradle of talented drum artisans who contribute to preserving the essence of Vietnamese culture. Meanwhile, in the Ancestral Land for over 30 years, by the roadside of Ao Ven Hamlet (Zone 15, Vo Mieu Commune), a son of Doi Tam has been persistently keeping the fire of his hometown’s craft alive. He is military veteran Dinh Van Chien, who established his career in the Ancestral Land more than three decades ago using his family’s ancestral drum-making craft.

Mr. Chien explains that the Doi Tam drum-making craft demands meticulousness and sophistication from the artisan. To produce a complete drum, it is mandatory to undergo three stages: processing the leather, crafting the shell, and assembling the drumhead.

The drumhead leather must be made from mature buffalo hide. After thorough processing, different sections of the hide are allocated by the artisan to craft either master drums or smaller drums. The measuring and cutting process must be extremely meticulous, as a single millimeter of error can ruin the entire piece of leather.

The wood used to make the drum shell must be mature jackfruit wood to prevent warping, bending, or cracking. The joinery for the drum staves is also executed with high precision to ensure a seamless fit with no gaps. After assembling the shell, the artisan uses traditional Vietnamese lacquer to seal any remaining microscopic crevices.

Assembling the drumhead is the most challenging stage of the craft. It is not merely about stretching the buffalo hide across the drum surface and securing it manually with pegs made of mature bamboo; it requires the artisan to possess a highly discerning ear to precisely evaluate the drum’s acoustics.

According to Mr. Chien, a long-standing traditional rule dictates that the drum-making craft is only passed down to sons—not to daughters, sons-in-law, or outsiders—to ensure the village’s trade secrets are never disclosed or lost over time.

The products ready to be dispatched from the workshop showcase a wide diversity in sizes and designs. Each item embodies his deep passion and devotion to his hometown’s ancestral Doi Tam drum-making craft.

In recent years, the Doi Tam drum-making craft has witnessed breakthrough developments, featuring numerous creative products tailored to customers' demands and tastes. The lineup spans all varieties, ranging from ceremonial drums used in communal houses and temples, Cheo opera drums, and school assembly drums, to Mid-Autumn festival drums for children. Mr. Chien has successfully navigated the ups and downs of the trade, diligently and persistently building his brand identity in the rural heartland of the Ancestral Land.

Quoc Hoi