Twenty-four Festive Drums：From Malaysia to ZJU

Screams rang out on the field of Zhejiang University’s Zijingang Campus. Huang Weixian, a senior student from Malaysia, and her teammates, dressed in black jackets, were waving their hands, and performing a percussion ensemble. The thumping rhythm ignited the enthusiasm of the audience.

“This is my last time performing on stage with my friends in the drum team,” Huang Weixian said excitedly. “We tried a new form, hoping to bring a different experience to the audience.” 

The 24 Festive Drums Team brought a percussion performance named “Stinkin Garbage” in ZJU’s “Summer Night Breeze” Graduation Season Concert, which was held on June 7 at the playground of Zijingang Campus. The performance combined tradition and modernity, showing excellent sense of creativity in spreading the 24 Festive Drums culture. 

The performance of the 24 Festive Drums has become popular among the Chinese community in Malaysia, with almost every secondary school having its own drum team. Influenced by this, some universities in China have also formed 24 Festive Drums Teams, such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Beijing Normal University.

In 2019, several Malaysian students with drumming experience at Zhejiang University established the 24 Festive Drums Team within the international student art group.

The 24 Festive Drums, a combination of the 24 solar terms, calligraphy and Cantonese lion drum, was jointly created by Chen Huichong and Chen Zaifan in 1988. It is known as one of the fastest-spreading and most widely spread Malaysian Chinese cultural activities in recent years, and was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Malaysia in 2009.

This performance utilizes 24 single-skin drums, to represent solar terms. Through various drum beats and rhythms, with shouts, body movements, and formation changes, an exhilarating drum percussion performance unfolds.

Huang Weixian is one of the first members of the drum team after its establishment. However, affected by the pandemic, the rehearsals and performances of the team were brought to a halt . It was not until December 2022 that the daily training and performances were restarted. “Our drum team now has 54 members, including interested members from Brunei and Italy,” said Huang Weixian.

Every week, the drum team dedicates two and a half hours to a fixed rehearsal schedule. However, during rehearsals, they encounter some challenges occasionally. The drumming skill of new and old students varies, which often slows down their rehearsal progress.

“As a beginner, I have to remember the moves and make them look good at the same time, which is a big difficulty for me,” said Zeng Huixuan, who will graduate this year and joined the team alongside Huang Weixian in 2022. “Sometimes we even stand on the drums.” Huang Weixian admitted that only through continuous training can she reach the proficiency required for stage performances.

The team is a vibrant participant in numerous campus events. They have showcased their talents at International Cultural Festivals, Chinese and International Music Events, New Year's Eve Celebration, and other campus performances. During the 2023 New Year's Eve Celebration, they collaborated with Zhejiang University President Du Jiangfeng, igniting the festivities with their energetic drumming.

In December 2023, the International College held the “Five Continents Gathering at Zhejiang University” New Year Gala. Students from all continents gathered at ZJU and performed the characteristic programs of their respective countries.

For this event, Huang Weixian and her teammates created the song “Surging Waves”, which describes the story of a person who drifted to the sea and met a group of like-minded people and played drums happily together. “This is like a microcosm of the founding of our club, and it is also a microcosm of the Malaysian culture drifting across the sea for communication and integration,” Huang Weixian said. “I love this story very much.”

As the most thoughtful song of the drum team, “Surging Waves” combines many basic techniques of traditional Malaysian drumming. These techniques come from the transformation of calligraphy, dance and daily life movements. The former captain of the drum team Lin Jingyi said, “The ‘Rain Water’ in the style is a symbol of the weather and season, and it is also an imitation of the falling raindrops. The ‘Autumnal Equinox’ style is derived from the action of farmers harvesting rice.”

The Graduation Season Concert on June 7 was their most recent performance. Different from the traditional drumming method, the drum team adopted a more convenient and modern performance method this time. They used plastic buckets instead of traditional drums, and also wore sunglasses.

“The song “Stinkin Garbage” mixes western and eastern cultures,” Huang Shyangze, the current team leader who is responsible for planning this performance, said. “The trendier and more street-like method makes our performance more popular with young people, and also allows our intangible cultural heritage to be better spread.”

“Their ensemble reminds me of the drum play form in my hometown,” Lin Zepei, an audience from Guangdong said. “I think they give a more modern interpretation.”

The team performed mostly cheerful and joyful songs, and this style is also consistent with the atmosphere of their club.

“Whether it’s daily practice or casual dinners after a show, we are always united like a family,” remarked Huang Weixian. She said that most of the team members are Malaysians, and the familiar accents of their compatriots strengthened their sense of belonging.

“Studying in China is indeed challenging for us,” Zeng Huixuan added. “Playing drums is also a way for us to relax, and a cultural harbor of our own in a foreign land.”

Huang Shyangze and other team members also agreed, stating that the 24 Festive Drums is a cultural symbol of Malaysia, “We are very proud and willing to let more people know about it.”

After graduating this year, Huang Weixian will return to Malaysia to start working. Due to time constraints, she probably won’t join a similar drum team again.

However, facing the final performance, she didn’t appear too sad, “It’s better to cherish these moments and perform with gusto. After all, all good things must come to an end.”

Turning her gaze towards the drums standing silently behind her, Huang Weixian patted the new captain, “The drum team will lead the new members and introduce the 24 Festive Drums to a wider audience, not only at ZJU, but also to China.” 

Writer: LI Yiting, ZHAN Zhiyi, WEI Liuling, College of Media and International Culture