Taiwan Today
Date: April 29, 2016
New Taipei City-based Hsiang Jen Ho Bell and Drum Store is preserving the cultural heritage
Wang Hsi-kun adjusts the tension on one of his custom-made drumheads at Hsiang Jen Ho Bell and Drum Store in New Taipei City. (MOFA)
of drum-making in Taiwan while breathing new life into the traditional practice.
Producing drums since 1924, the workshop is the leading supplier of Taiwan’s Buddhist temples. Its clients include Dharma Drum Mountain, also in New Taipei, Fo Guang Shan Monastery in the southern Taiwan port city of Kaohsiung, and Lungshan Temple in Taipei City.
The workshop’s drums are also the instruments of choice for many of Taiwan’s top international performance groups like Han Tang Yuefu Ensemble, Ju Percussion Group and U-Theatre.
Wang Hsi-kun, the workshop’s second-generation owner and master craftsman, said his drums are custom made and never fail to satisfy the rigorous spiritual demands of temples. “They need resonating sounds creating a sense of peace and tranquility that can calm even the most unhinged of minds.
“Our hand-crafted drums are made to last for decades, with no need for maintenance,” he added, citing a signature piece produced by his father more than 60 years ago that can still produce a powerful sound. [FULL STORY]
