Continuing the drum making profession of Doi Tam in the new land
The sound of drums has long been associated with the cultural life of Vietnamese people, resounding in festivals, recalling roots and deepening childhood memories.
Amidst the modern pace of life, Mr. Pham Chi Manh (Dai Minh commune, Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province) still perseveres in preserving and developing his family's traditional drum making profession in the highlands of Yen Bai.
According to Mr. Manh, his family's drum making profession originated from Doi Tam village, Ha Nam province - a famous craft village with a long tradition of drum making.
''Since the 1960s, my grandfather brought the quintessence of drum making from his hometown Doi Tam to Yen Bai to start a business. Doi Tam drum village has a tradition of "father to son", so I am very proud to be able to continue to keep the traditional craft alive until today,'' Mr. Manh shared.
In 2012, Mr. Manh decided to officially open a production facility bearing his name. Mr. Manh's family's facility currently produces drums mainly for schools and religious establishments in Yen Bai province.
Mr. Manh said that production takes place all year round with three main seasons: school drums (July - September), festival drums (December - January) and church drums (March - May). Depending on the size, each drum costs from 3 to 10 million VND.
Agile change and challenges in the new era
After more than 10 years of establishment, Mr. Manh's factory has been trusted by many customers. However, in the era of strong social network development, Mr. Manh cannot help but worry about increasing competition.
Looking to the future, Mr. Manh can't help but worry when mentioning his young son: "I hope to pass on the profession to my son in the future, but I only dare to hope to keep the profession at the level of knowing how to do it and understanding it. As for considering this a long-term career, I'm not sure. Times change, I can't force the next generation to pursue something my son doesn't like."
Mr. Vu Tuan Manh, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Yen Binh district (Yen Bai) commented: "The drum making profession of Mr. Pham Chi Manh's family plays an important role and has a great impact in contributing to the preservation of traditional musical instruments, contributing to preserving national identity as well as promoting tourism development."
According to Mr. Vu Duc Manh, in the coming time, Yen Binh district (Yen Bai) intends to expand the drum making profession, multiply the traditional drum making into a craft village, creating a tourism product for tourists to visit. From there, promote socio-economic development in Dai Minh commune.
