2:16:13 PM | 8/12/2024
Hoai Duc is a land that preserves the unique cultural identity of Hanoi. Among them, Son Dong handicraft village with a history of existence and development of hundreds of years, contributing to affirming the local cultural values and building a famous brand domestically and internationally.
In 2007, Son Dong Craft Village was recognized by the Vietnam Record as “The largest Buddhist statue and worship object carving village in Vietnam”. This is a great source of pride for local people and a testament to the remarkable development of the craft village.
Son Dong handicraft products are famous both domestically and internationally for statues, worship objects, horizontal lacquered boards, parallel sentences, altars, votive doors, gilded lacquer, and silver lacquer, serving the spiritual and cultural life of the people and are favored by many international customers, especially in countries with developed Buddhism.
Currently, Son Dong Craft Village has more than 4,000 workers who regularly work in handicrafts. Many talented artisans have been honored and awarded the title of artisan, contributing to preserving and promoting the traditional values of the craft village. Under the talented hands of Son Dong craftsmen, many works of art with high sophistication and rich national identity have been created. The achievements that Son Dong craftsmen have achieved after many days and nights of hard work in the wood workshop are famous, not only in all regions but also in many countries in the world. Currently, the products of Son Dong Craft Village not only serve the spiritual and cultural life of the country but are also exported to foreign countries such as Japan, Korea, Russia,...
People in Son Dong said that when they start working, they always have faith in the good world, and respectfully turn to Buddha, or more broadly, it is the sense of responsibility of craftsmen to preserve and promote the profession of their ancestors. Although there are common features in the manufacturing process, each artisan has his secret to create unique products. With their talented hands, the artisans of Son Dong village have created many works that require high sophistication such as the statue of the Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Buddha, the statue of Mr. Thien, Mr. Ac, the Arhat statue, the eight-pole palanquin... All over the country, visitors can see worship statues crafted by Son Dong artisans.
According to artisan Nguyen Viet Loi, who has been associated with Son Dong Craft Village for more than 30 years: The technique of gilding in the art of making statues in Son Dong is very sophisticated and requires a lot of effort. The process of painting the statue begins with "hom" the statue with paint mixed with alluvial soil, then "bo" with raw paint and "thi" paint. After each stage, the statue is polished with stone and water to create shine and smoothness on the surface. This stage is repeated many times until the statue achieves the desired shine and smoothness. When the surface of the statue has achieved smoothness, a layer of paint (called lacquer) is applied to the statue. To make the lacquer stick, the craftsman will stick gold or silver (silver, gold powder) onto the surface of the statue. Litchi powder is used to make the lacquer stick firmly to the surface of the statue. To create litchi powder, people grind gold or silver into powder and mix it with some other substances to create a highly sticky mixture. The main materials for making statues and worshiping objects in Son Dong Craft Village include jackfruit wood, doi wood and gold hearts. The craftsman must spend a lot of time and effort to breathe life into the statue, thereby creating soulful and sharp works. This stage is considered very important in the process of making statues and requires the experience and sophistication of the craftsman. To make a large statue, the craftsman must spend up to 40 hours, while a small statue only takes about 5-10 hours.
In recent years, Hoai Duc district and Son Dong commune have always focused on preserving and promoting traditional values, promoting the brand of Son Dong handicraft village, through trade promotion activities, displaying and exhibiting products at major events and activities organized by the Central and the City.
Chairman of Son Dong Commune People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, said: On June 7, 2024, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade and the Hoai Duc District People's Committee announced the decision and awarded the certificate to the Center for Design, Creation, Introduction, Promotion and Sale of OCOP Products and Son Dong Commune Fine Arts Products. The commune's OCOP products have truly promoted their value by affirming their quality, promoting their brand, and helping consumers access good products. Up to now, the commune has had 06 products evaluated and classified by the city, recognized as 3 stars and 4 stars. OCOP products still available include: wooden lotus vases, parallel sentences, and model statues.
The Center for Creative Design, introduction, promotion, and sale of OCOP products and handicraft products of Son Dong commune is assigned to the Association of Skilled Artisans of Son Dong commune and 7 affiliated establishments in the commune to manage and operate, and the recognition period of the title is 3 years. To promote the effectiveness of the Center's operations, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoai Duc District Nguyen Trung Thuan said: The Center needs to soon establish a Management Board with appropriate quantity, structure, and composition, develop effective management and operation regulations, meet the practical situation of the craft village, under the rules of the People's Committee of Hanoi City. Every year, develop action programs to ensure effective exploitation of invested conditions and infrastructure; support handicraft production establishments in the area in connecting, promoting, and expanding the consumption market.
Source: Vietnam Business Forum
The page is coordinated by the Hanoi Office of the Coordination of the New Rural Development Program
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