Son Dong craft village preserves traditional craft

Son Dong village is famous for its craft of sculpting Buddha statues, altars, and wood carving. The products made here are diverse, ranging from statues, horizontal lacquered boards, couplets, to altars, thrones, palanquins, and more. Currently, over 80% of households in Son Dong commune are engaged in the traditional craft, with more than 4,000 laborers working regularly. Each household typically specializes in a specific stage of production, such as woodworking, painting, or sales. Only a few families are capable of handling the entire process of creating a finished product.

Here are some images from Son Dong craft village:

The statue's details are smoothed after the rough carving process.

How long it takes to finish a product depends on its complexity and the skill of the artisan.

Buddha statues take shape after the carving and smoothing process.

According to Hanoi artisan Nguyen Viet Loi (left), who has been dedicated to Son Dong craft village for over 30 years, in recent years, the village has actively researched the market to meet customer demand to improve product quality, especially by excelling in communications and promotion.

Each piece reflects not only the knowledge and skills of the artisans, but also their deep passion for the craft.

The preparation for applying the finishing paint is extremely meticulous to ensure durability and aesthetics.

Some Son Dong products take three to four months to complete.

The artisans of Son Dong “blowing soul” into each statue

In addition to producing Buddha and deity statues, Son Dong villagers also make altars, horizontal lacquered boards, and couplets.

Statues in the house of artisan Nguyen Viet Loi

Every statue bears a meaning and characteristics of each belief and religion.

Son Dong’s products are not only catered to domestic market but also exported to various countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and more.

Translated by Trung Thanh