NBA fans tap to beat of Matun drums

The eyes of hundreds of basketball fans awaiting the start of an NBA game in the United States were suddenly yanked away from their cellphones when some 30 Chinese women on the floor — all dressed in traditional flowing skirts — began a pulsating drum performance.

Many spectators were scrolling or chatting, but the thundering rhythms, accompanied by the deep, resonant sound of horns, grabbed their attention. The performance left the crowd in awe, said Dong Wenzhu, the group's leader.

"We heard people saying, 'You're amazing! We didn't know drums could sound like that!' " Dong said. "They were shocked by how these seemingly delicate women could create such powerful sounds."

After the spectacular performance, which unfolded at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, people were eager to tap their fingers on the handmade drumheads and feel the texture. They examined their intricate designs and surface patterns.

All the drums came from Henan province in central China, where Dong grew up. The ones featured in the performance were produced in Matun village, in the town of Goushi in Luoyang, which is known as a drum production base.

Matun has a complete industrial chain for producing drums, from processing raw materials to fine finish work. For more than 300 local family workshops, drums are part of the rhythm of life. The drum-making industry generates an annual output value of more than 100 million yuan ($13.6 million), making it a pillar industry for the area, said Qu Zhijia, deputy head of Goushi.

He said drum-making is closely related to the area's traditional cuisine, which has long relied heavily on beef and mutton for people's daily diet. Long ago, after butchering cattle and sheep, residents learned to put the hides to good use. They would carry their drums around on their shoulders and offer them for sale.

The selling has continued, but the mode has changed in modern times.

"With the rise of e-commerce, sales have made for steady growth in the village's drum-making industry," Qu said. "More than 85 percent of the drums in China are produced here."

The drums of Goushi have been used on many important occasions, including at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In recognition of their exceptional craftsmanship and the cultural significance of the drums, the skills of the artisans in Matun were listed as an intangible cultural heritage in 2020.

Ma Yinwei, a sixth-generation inheritor of the craft, recalled how he got started.

"I grew up surrounded by drums. Everyone around me made them," he said. "Now, the use of drums has expanded widely, with some being customized as decorative items or even as dining tables and stools, especially in southern China, where people use drum tables for tea ceremonies."

As cultural confidence grows, he said, the popularity of these handcrafted drums continues to rise, both as performance instruments and as unique pieces of home decor. Drum performances typically accompany celebrations such as Spring Festival or weddings.

The peak season for the drummaking industry in the village runs from September through the end of the year and into the spring of the following year.

Li Jituo, deputy director of the Yanshi district bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism said the Matun drum, as a unique intangible cultural heritage, has become increasingly integrated with the cultural tourism sector, scenic areas and other creative industries.

The authorities plan to further develop the drums through research and innovation to fuse them with the tourism market.

"We hope to expand the reach of Matun drums, bringing this traditional craft to the global stage," Li said.

After the well-received performance at the NBA arena in the US, Dong, the director, has greater motivation and confidence about the drums and related cultural exchanges in communities around the world.

Her team was created in 2022, with female members ages 35 to 62. They regularly visit high schools to perform.

"Currently, we are preparing for a performance at the Chinese New Year Gala to highlight the beauty of Chinese traditional music and arts. We're also planning a performance in Washington state and continue to seize every opportunity," she said.

Guo Yanqi and Qi Xin contributed to this story.