Lululemon yoga event on Great Wall of China causes Japanese drum furor

(CNN) — Activewear brand Lululemon is in hot water in China after a promotional event held on the Great Wall appeared to mistakenly feature a Japanese drum – setting off an online furor.

The consumer backlash, which prompted Lululemon to issue an apology and scrub its campaign, is the latest example of how quickly Western brands can come unstuck in a country where nationalism has surged under strongman leader Xi Jinping.

It began with a yoga festival organized by Lululemon on the Great Wall on May 30, according to Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times.

Billed as an event promoting Chinese culture and wellness, more than 2,000 guests laid down their mats on the ancient stone of the country’s most iconic landmark to practice yoga under the sun, according to a now-deleted press release by the brand.

One prominent guest was Chinese actor Zhu Yilong, known for his roles in popular movies and television shows like “Guardian,” “The Story of Minglan” and “Lighting Up the Stars.” At the festival, he joined a drum troupe in performing on what was initially described as a traditional Chinese drum, Global Times reported.

But the provenance of the drum soon came into question – with social media users and musicians claiming it appeared to resemble a Japanese Taiko drum instead.

Both types of drums are traditionally large, made with wood and cowhide skins that are sometimes tacked onto the body with metal studs, rings or rope. And they share a common history; many early Japanese drums were introduced to the country through China or Korea. However, they have since evolved to serve different, culturally specific purposes.

Chinese percussionist Xu Yang told his social media followers the form and style of the drums used on the Great Wall appeared more like a Japanese Taiko performance. “They should never be confused,” he said in a video on Weibo.

Others argued that it brought back memories of Japanese imperialism and wartime brutality – something that felt particularly sensitive displayed on a national symbol like the Great Wall.

The drum drama went viral this past week, garnering more than 50 million views on Chinese social media site Weibo by Monday, Global Times reported. Zhu’s studio weighed in on Tuesday, urging Lululemon to “verify the entire process and to review, analyze, and follow up on the matter.”

Zhu and his team “have always been committed to promoting traditional Chinese culture,” the statement added.

Lululemon responded to the controversy on Tuesday – saying the event had “intended to unwaveringly pay tribute to Chinese culture.”

“Due to limitations in our professional knowledge, we were unable to fully identify potential controversies initially, and we fully recognize that we should be more cautious and thorough in the early planning and review process of the drum performances,” it said, apologizing to both Zhu and the public.

It vowed to “learn profound lessons” and to adopt “a more rigorous attitude” in future events.

Lululemon has since scrubbed its website and social media of all content related to the event. The HIIKO Drum Troupe that performed with Zhu issued its own apology on Tuesday, saying “all external promotion and use of the controversial drums have been suspended.”

But many Chinese social media users remain unsatisfied with the statements. “On a landmark site with strong symbolic meanings like the Great Wall, every detail should withstand scrutiny,” read one post on Weibo.

It’s not the first time foreign brands have courted controversy, made geopolitical faux pas or found themselves at the center of consumer outrage in China.

In 2021, H&M, Nike and other big Western apparel brands faced a boycott in China because of the stand they took against the alleged use of forced labor to produce cotton in the country’s western region of Xinjiang. PVH, the parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, also prohibits direct or indirect sourcing from Xinjiang – and last year, was placed on a Chinese blacklist of companies during a trade war with the US.

And in 2019, luxury brands Coach, Givenchy and Versace issued formal apologies for selling T-shirts that did not identify Hong Kong as part of China, while appearing to imply that Taiwan – which China’s ruling Communist Party claims as its own, despite having never controlled the island – is an independent country.

But Japan is an especially thorny topic, given the long history of animosity between the two countries. In the 20th century, Japan’s Imperial Army invaded, occupied and waged atrocities on China, a key pain point in China’s so-called “century of humiliation” at the hands of foreign powers.

Anti-Japanese sentiment has simmered in the country since that time, gaining traction in recent years as hyper-nationalism has flourished under Xi, especially on China’s tightly regulated internet. Calls to boycott Japanese products occur frequently whenever old grievances re-emerge.

Just earlier this year, China issued sweeping restrictions on some Japanese goods after Japan’s prime minister suggested that Tokyo could respond militarily if China moved to take control of Taiwan by force – stepping on one of Beijing’s so-called “red lines.”

The-CNN-Wire
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Shuai Zhang contributed to this report.