In Quan Thanh, meet the famous ceremonial drum artisan of Nghe An province.
Minh Quan•July 19, 2025 07:40
In the journey of preserving and spreading the art of Yen Thanh ceremonial drumming – an art form recently added to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list – the silent yet profound contributions of the artisans are invaluable. Prominent among them is artisan Le Khac Dinh from Quan Thanh commune (formerly Xuan Thanh commune, old Yen Thanh district).
Mr. Le Khac Dinh performs the ceremonial drum at the Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival in 2025. Photo: Provided by the artist.
The fate of an artist's life
One weekend morning in mid-July, in the spacious, tree-shaded courtyard in front of artisan Le Khac Dinh's house, the sound of drums echoed loudly. More than 20 apprentices, mostly children, interspersed with a few middle-aged and elderly people, attentively watched the artisan's demonstration.
Mr. Dinh's hands moved swiftly with the drumsticks, each stroke decisive, each beat precise, the sound reverberating like the hooves of horses on the battlefield. Without a podium or lesson plan, the class was led by burning passion, a commanding presence, and a deep, powerful sound that had permeated the souls of generations of people from Nghe An province.
Drum artist Le Khac Dinh. Photo: Minh Quan
Born into the Lê Khắc clan in Kẻ Gám village, Quan Thành commune – a place with a long tradition of ceremonial drumming – Lê Khắc Dinh seemed destined to be connected to the sound of drums from a young age. He recounts that from childhood, he was lulled to sleep by the sound of drums every spring, when the village held the Gám Temple Festival or the ancestral worship ceremony of his clan. At the age of 3, he was already babbling while holding drumsticks. By the age of 6, he was directly taught the basic techniques of ceremonial and ritual drumming by his father and the elders in his clan and village.
A drum lesson for the ceremonial rituals takes place in the yard of Mr. Le Khac Dinh's house. Photo: Minh Quan
At the age of eight, his talent was recognized by the entire village when he was invited to join the village's drum ensemble. Since then, for nearly 50 years, he has never missed a single festival in his hometown. With his accumulated experience, since 2015, Artisan Le Khac Dinh has been entrusted by the village with the responsibility of leading the ceremonial drum ensemble, serving at religious ceremonies. This position not only demands exceptional personal skill but also recognition of his prestige, experience, and leadership abilities within the community.
A drum lesson at the home of artisan Le Khac Dinh. Video: Minh Quan
Throughout his career dedicated to the art of ceremonial drumming, Artisan Le Khac Dinh has left his mark with many remarkable achievements. He won first prize at the Traditional Ceremonial Drumming Competition at the Gam Temple and Pagoda Festival in 2015. In 2023, he and the Quan Thanh commune ceremonial drumming team won first prize overall at the ceremonial drumming competition within the framework of the Ca Temple Festival.
Not only is he a skilled drum maker and an art teacher at Ly Thanh Primary School, Mr. Le Khac Dinh also dedicates much of his time to painting, writing poetry, and composing music – activities that allow him to express his deep affection for his homeland. Currently, he is a member of the Poetry Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Association of Literature and Arts, and a familiar face in local cultural and poetry exchange programs.
Not only a talented performer, Mr. Dinh also played a crucial role in the process of creating a heritage dossier for the Yen Thanh ceremonial drum art. He provided key information and directly assisted the Nghe An Department of Culture in completing the dossier to be submitted to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for recognition of the Yen Thanh ceremonial drum art.National Intangible Cultural Heritagein early 2024.
The aspiration to "keep the flame" of our roots alive.
Mr. Dinh's dedication to preserving heritage doesn't stop at the local area where he lives. He has proactively gone to teach ceremonial drumming in many localities inside and outside the province, bringing with him the sacred atmosphere of the Gám village drums and a burning love for heritage.
In the drumming classes he organized, in addition to teaching skills, he always focused on explaining the meaning of each drum beat, each playing technique, and each performance context.
The young apprentices of artisan Le Khac Dinh. Photo: Minh Quan
He shared that each drum beat in a ceremonial ritual carries its own emotional state: sometimes majestic like the sound of galloping horses, sometimes profound like the sound of a flowing stream, and sometimes tragic like a funeral dirge for ancestors. For him, learning to play the drums is not just about learning an art form, but also about learning to be a good person, knowing how to respect elders and be considerate of juniors, knowing how to preserve traditions, and living responsibly towards the community.
With a spirit of preserving and promoting the heritage of their ancestors, artisan Le Khac Dinh and those with the same passion have been carrying out many concrete activities. One of the important steps is the establishment of the "Ke Gam Village Ritual Drum Club" (formerly the Xuan Thanh Commune Ritual Drum Club) to institutionalize conservation efforts, shifting from an oral, spontaneous form to a more organized and professional model, creating favorable conditions for the teaching and sustainable development of the ritual drum art.
Mr. Dinh and the club's teaching activities have achieved significant results. They have taught the traditional ceremonial drumming art to many families not only in the former Yen Thanh district but also in other localities outside the province. Hundreds of students of all ages have had the opportunity to learn this art form.
Artisan Le Khac Dinh instructs young apprentices. Photo: Minh Quan
Besides teaching and training, the Kẻ Gám Village Drum Club plans to produce technology-based videos to communicate the importance of preserving and promoting this art form, helping Yên Thành drumming overcome geographical barriers and reach more people, especially young people.
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The ceremonial drum is not just a traditional art form, but an integral part of the spiritual life of our homeland. It is the sound of our origins, the sacred heartbeat connecting our ancestors with their descendants today. Therefore, that drum sound needs to resonate forever – not only in temples and pagodas, but also in the hearts of the younger generation.
Drum maker Le Khac Dinh (Quan Thanh commune, Nghe An province)
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