Lululemon’s Great Wall event hits sour note after Japanese drum sparks China firestorm

BEIJING, June 18 — Lululemon has issued a public apology after a promotional event at China’s Great Wall ignited a social media firestorm over the use of a Japanese Taiko drum during what was intended as a celebration of Chinese culture.

The athleisure giant said it was “deeply reflecting” on the incident after criticism erupted online following its May 30 yoga festival at the landmark.

The event featured Chinese actor and brand ambassador Zhu Yilong leading participants through yoga and Tai Chi before joining the HiiKo Drum Group for a performance.

But musicians and online critics quickly argued that the instrument used was not a traditional Chinese Dagu drum as presented, but a Japanese Taiko drum.

According to CNA, Chinese percussionist Xu Yang was among those who publicly criticised the event, saying: “Using a Japanese Taiko drum to showcase Chinese culture at a place like the Great Wall, which has massive symbolic meaning to the country ... would (not only) mislead the public, but also stir up historical memories of Chinese people.”

He added that it was not right to “appropriate or misuse other people’s culture”.

In a statement posted to its official Weibo account on Tuesday, Lululemon extended “sincere apologies to the public” and to Zhu.

The company said the event “always intended to pay tribute to Chinese culture.”

“Due to limitations in our understanding of the relevant professional knowledge, we failed to fully identify potential controversy in the early stages,” the statement read, adding that it should have been more “prudent and thorough” in planning the event.

“We will deeply reflect on and learn from this experience, and will approach future events and communications with a more rigorous attitude.”

Lululemon also confirmed that all related promotional content has been removed.

Apologies were also issued by Zhu and the HiiKo Drum Group.

“Going forward, we will study and improve our professional knowledge more deeply, and humbly accept criticism and guidance from all sectors,” said the group’s founder Ye Songyuan.

Zhu’s studio said the actor and his team “have always been committed to promoting traditional Chinese culture.”

“No matter when, where, or under what circumstances, we uphold rigor and accuracy in cultural expression, safeguard traditional culture with our original intention, and remain firm inheritors of Chinese culture,” the statement read.

The apologies did little to calm some users on Weibo, where commenters questioned why the company waited weeks to respond.

“(The controversy) has already been brewing and only now you chose to apologise,” one user wrote beneath Lululemon’s statement.

“Does your team not surf the internet? Must (something) blow up only for you to respond?”

The controversy also revived discussion of previous cultural flashpoints involving the company, including criticism of founder Chip Wilson over remarks about Japanese customers’ pronunciation of the brand’s name and later comments that were widely viewed as body-shaming. Wilson stepped down from Lululemon’s board in 2015.