Long An Bình An Drum Village is known as the only drum-making village in Southern Vietnam. Making a drum requires more than 20 stages, and the craft demands physical strength, carefulness, and meticulous attention to every detail.

In Vietnam, drums can be found almost everywhere—from communal houses, pagodas, temples, and schools to traditional theater troupes and lion dance teams. For many years, drums have been closely associated with the nation’s cultural activities and folk beliefs. If you have a chance to visit Long An Province, remember to stop by Bình Lãng Commune, Tân Trụ District. This is home to Bình An Drum Village, a place that produces and supplies the “only” drums in Southern Vietnam—an outstanding cultural highlight of the Southwest region and a distinctive feature of Long An’s tourism. Although considered a relatively new tourist destination, Bình An Drum Village has quickly become a popular cultural attraction, drawing many visitors. The Only Drum Craft Village in Southern Vietnam The first impression when visiting Bình An Drum Village is the sight of sao wood planks and bamboo molds drying in the yard alongside buffalo hides stretched tightly over large frames. The village is believed to have been formed nearly 200 years ago. The person credited with developing the drum-making craft here was Mr. Nguyễn Văn Ty. Most villagers have practiced this trade for decades, passing it down from generation to generation.

In the past, Mr. Ty owned a fishing boat and traded fish sauce from Long An to the Mekong Delta. During his trading trips, he noticed that along the Vàm Cỏ River, many people slaughtered buffaloes and discarded the hides. Seeing this, he brought the buffalo hides home, dried them, and experimented with making drums. After Mr. Ty passed away, his descendants continued the craft. Initially, drum-making was merely for entertainment, but later generations began producing drums for commercial purposes. Artisans then invented methods using scaffolding and wooden frames as tools to stretch drum skins. Drum bodies were made from high-quality sao wood to ensure durability. The drums were painted red and designed with an attractive appearance.

Bình An Drum Village Despite ups and downs, the drum-making craft in Bình An has survived thanks to artisans who are deeply devoted to their trade. Today, sourcing materials—especially aged buffalo hides—has become more difficult, yet local workshops still strive to preserve the traditional craft passed down by their ancestors. Drum-making requires strength, precision, and meticulous attention to detail. With swift hands, the artisan tightens the ropes after each strike, gradually stretching the hide to its maximum tension. When struck firmly with a mallet, a deep “thump” sound signals a perfectly tuned drum. Making a drum involves more than 20 stages. To ensure durability, sao wood must be carefully selected. The wood is dried, measured, cut, bent, and treated against termites before being assembled. Each plank must be skillfully joined so that no gaps remain. The most difficult stage is stretching and fitting the buffalo hide.

After being processed, buffalo hides are sun-dried thoroughly. In the past, hides were stretched using ropes tied at four corners, but today steel frames are used to prevent tearing. To produce a clear and resonant sound, the hide must be carefully shaved before being stretched onto the drum. Bình An drums are not only durable and visually appealing with diverse designs, but their sound is also deeper and more resonant than many other drums. The skillful wood-joining techniques and secret hide-processing methods create the unique character of each Bình An drum. The sound of these drums has traveled far—and it is this very sound that draws visitors closer to the craft village. It is hoped that Bình An Drum Village will become a well-known destination, where visitors grow to love the sound of Bình An drums as well as the talented, sincere, and gentle people of this land of drums.