On June 25, the People's Committee in Tay Ninh Province held a ceremony to announce the decision and receive the certificate recognizing Binh An Drum Village in Tan Tru Commune as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The craft village has maintained continuous production for more than 150 years.
The drum-making craft in Binh An was established by its founding artisan, Nguyen Van Ty, in the mid-19th century and has been passed down through generations, becoming an integral part of the local community. Today, the village is home to more than 20 workshops preserving the traditional craft.
The uniqueness of Binh An drums lies in their meticulous handcrafted production process, which involves more than 20 stages. The drum body must be made from mature starwood to prevent warping and termite damage. Wooden slats are bent over fires fueled by dried coconut wood before being tightly joined without leaving gaps.
The drumhead is made from the back and shoulder hide of female buffaloes more than 20 years old to ensure durability and resilience. The most demanding stages are shaving the buffalo hide to the proper thickness and stretching it over the drum using a traditional wooden frame. Rather than relying on measuring instruments, Binh An artisans tune each drum entirely by ear. Lion dance drums require a sharp, energetic sound, while school, communal house and temple drums are crafted to produce deeper, resonant tones.
Today, the village produces a wide range of drums, including school drums, temple and communal house drums, festival drums, lion-unicorn-dragon dance drums, traditional stage drums and various drums for export.
In addition to serving the domestic market, Binh An Drum Village's products are exported to customers in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Europe and North America.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dang Hoang Tuan, Secretary of the Tan Tru Commune Party Committee in Tay Ninh Province, said the locality will continue working with relevant agencies, artisans and residents to preserve and promote the value of the Binh An drum-making tradition.
Priority measures include safeguarding traditional values, encouraging artisans to pass on their skills to younger generations, raising public awareness of the heritage, linking preservation with economic development, strengthening the village's brand and experiential tourism, mobilizing investment for infrastructure and cultural space preservation, and accelerating digital transformation to promote the village and its products to domestic and international visitors.
