A 2,000 year old village with a 1,000 year old traditional craft, Hanoi’s Son Dong is a must-see stop on any heritage trail for tourists. Â
Son Dong craft village in Hanoi’s Hoai Duc district is the place to go for wooden statues of Buddha or worshipping objects. Apparently, it has always been thus. When Buddhism became widespread under the pious Ly Dynasty the village picked up the craft as a spate of newly built pagodas created a massive demand for Buddha statues and other Buddhist symbols.

After 1954 and particularly under the subsidised economy (1975-1986), the craft dwindled to the brink of extinction as the trade was banned by the State, which had the more pressing matter of battling for independence and protecting the national economy in mind.

One villager, 75-year old To Van Nghia reckons around 5,000 statue-making villagers started to till the land or take up other social duties.

“We thought the traditional craft would never be revived,” says Nghia. “But now, all of my family’s members are doing the job. Each month, the family earns up to 25 million ($1,282).”

Open door policy
When Vietnam initiated its doi moi economic policy in 1986, the government relaxed its stance regarding the prohibition of practicing religion, too. Slowly, Vietnam’s religious sites started to flourish again – temples, pagodas and churches were soon reopened and welcoming the return of the local congregation.

Nghia’s family gladly traded their sickles and ploughs for a life back in the workshop, carving and crafting statues. Filled with tall, modern house and wide, asphalted roads the village has clearly prospered, too.

Several of the older local craftsmen decided to help revive the craft by seeking loans from relatives to open on-the-spot training courses on wood carving for many of the young locals, who were keen to follow the village’s traditional craft.

Record breaking village
Son Dong is recorded in the Vietnam Guinness Book of Records as being the craft village that has made “the largest quantity of statues and worshipping objects for Buddhists”.

The village has a population of more than 8,000 people, of which over 300 households and over 4,000 craftsmen are now specialised in carving statues, sculptures and gildings. The village’s products have been used throughout the country and even exported. Each household has its own distinguishing carving style. A local craftsperson can easily pinpoint the origins of each product.

When you enter the village you can hear the cacophonous sound of craftsmen chiseling away all around. In each nook and cranny craftsmen of all ages are glued to their work. Everywhere you can see finished statues, altars, worshiping objects and palanquins being polished up before transportation.

It’s in the blood
To Van Hien, Nghia’s 10-year old grandson started to learn how to carve when he was just five. “Now, I can do nearly every detail. But I am trying to perfect my skill in carving the eyes, which is the most difficult task,” Hien says.

But shouldn’t he be at school or concentrating on his studies?
“I am excellent pupil,” says Hien pointing to three certificates of merit given to him by his school for his academic achievements.
According to Nghia, jackfruit wood must be used to carve Buddha statues, as it is soft but durable.

“The most important thing about jackfruit is that the jackfruit tree is one of Buddha’s trees – it symbolises the perfection of people’s life, which is the target of Buddhism. So, most things by a pagoda’s altar are made out of jackfruit,” he says.

The workers must perform dozens of steps before finishing a product including selecting the wood, soaking it in water and dousing it with anti-termite chemicals, before carving it and finally painting it. Great patience and concentration are required.

“These objects are for worship, therefore the maker must have a good heart and mind,” Nghia says.

Plenty of demand
“We like Son Dong products as they are durable, sophisticated, lifelike and reasonably priced, which are cheaper than the products made by other localities in Hanoi,” says Do Xuan Doanh, head of the commune’s Xuan Tao communal house, where all the worshiping objects come from Son Dong.

Another craftsman, Tran Tuan Sinh says that many households are keen on developing the village into a tourism-oriented craft village. Besides making traditional statutes, workshops could also make more tourist-friendly items.

One showroom owned by Pham Anh Tu already caters for this market. His showroom is stocked with mini-statues, small souvenirs, lacquered pictures and lots more. The impressive display makes it feel like a miniature museum.

“Lots of foreigners come here and place orders,” says Pham Anh Thu. “We feel proud as our products have been sent to the US, Russia and Japan.” The local authorities have yet to decide on a common policy to develop Son Dong into a real tourism-oriented craft village but Thu’s workshop is certainly a leading example.Â
Source: Time-out