Cultural exchanges between China and Africa have a history going back centuries, and music is increasingly becoming a part of that. In recent years, African drums like the djembe have gained a huge fan base in the country. With their energetic rhythms and one-of-a-kind sound, African drum traditions are winning over Chinese hearts, and sparking curiosity in people old and young. Our reporter Wang Mengzhen visited two drum groups in Beijing to find out more.

Every Sunday afternoon, an African drum show makes a splash near Beijing's bustling Houhai Lake. 10 years ago, Liu Yong, who makes a living by selling and playing djembes, initiated the Houhai drum group.

LIU YONG AFRICAN DRUM TEACHER "Rain or shine, we will meet up and play drums together. That's our goal. In the beginning, we only had a couple of people playing together, many of whom are passers-by. But now, people from all walks of life are playing here."

In Africa, hand drums are more than just musical instruments, they are an indelible part of the continent's heritage. But for Chinese people, the new-found obsession with the beats is another story.

Drummers No Super "I have been playing the drums for six years here. Every Sunday, Liu Yong and I helped each other to carry our drums to Houhai by car. When I play drums, I feel purely happy and calm."

In late 2015, a Chinese pop song played on djembe went viral online. After that, African drumbeat gains more popularity in the country.

LIU YONG AFRICAN DRUM TEACHER "African masters know that China has the largest population of people playing the drums. More and more drum masters from Africa have come to teach courses in China. I am also planning to travel to western Africa and learn from masters there next January."

WANG MENGZHEN BEIJING "Well, you can not only see the African drum performances around Houhai, but they are also getting more popular in Chinese classrooms like this one."

At least that's the case for Beijing, where some schools have already set up African drum clubs of their own. Despite the summer holiday, this group of students are still coming to practice for their upcoming performance.

CAO YINZHE, STUDENT NO.1 BRANCH OF CAPITAL NORMAL UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL "I have been playing in the band for two years and I really enjoy the team spirit. It requires lots of collaboration."

SONG YING, MUSIC TEACHER NO.1 BRANCH OF CAPITAL NORMAL UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL "Teenagers are quite sensitive to rhythms. So playing djembes fit them well and it is very meaningful for them to grasp some history and African culture behind the instrument."

One thing is for sure, the drumbeat has helped young Chinese get to know Africa despite differences in language and culture. WMZ, CGTN, BEIJING.