Bronze casting in Che Dong village in the central province of Thanh Hoa has officially received a certification recognising it as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, making it the seventh local heritage to receive the title in the country.
Artisans from various workshops in Che Dong Village show off their bronze casting skills.(Photo: VNA).
The traditional handicraft and trade of Che Dong village have
existed for thousands of years and have been preserved and promoted to this day.
The trade comprises a sophisticated technical process
involving many stages, each of which uses different techniques like moulding,
mixing the compound, heating and casting.
Experience is often passed down through families and kept
secret from other villages. This is why Che Dong village is the only place in
Thanh Hoa province that has preserved the art.
All the bronze items they make are meticulously crafted by
hand.
Local artisans create items of worship, jars and particularly
drums. They created the biggest bronze drum in Vietnam at 1.21m high in 2007,
and then the biggest bronze drum in the world which weighs around eight tonnes
and is two metres high in 2013.
The artisans in Che Dong village also cast 100 bronze drums
as a tribute to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi in 2010.
Thanks to these outstanding achievements, the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism issued the decision to bestow the title on
September 4.
Addressing a ceremony held on Saturday to mark the
recognition, vice chairman of the Thanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee Pham
Dang Quyen affirmed that the recognition brought both honour and pride to the
villagers and people of Thanh Hoa.
"In the short term, local administrators need to focus on
creating favourable conditions for the workshops, artisans and villagers to
preserve and promote the invaluable heritage of their ancestors.
"Besides re-planning the village, more incentives should be
issued to encourage workshops and artisans to train and pass the trade down to
younger generations. The bronze workshops also need to support each other to
produce and promote bronze casting to make it become a major trademark in both
domestic and international markets,” Quyen added.
Also at the ceremony, artisans showed off their skills to
attendees.
According to the Thieu Trung communal People’s Commune, 132
households in the commune were maintaining the traditional trade, but only 15
households at a professional level, concentrated mainly in Che Dong village.
Source: VNA
The 10th art festival for the armed forces, youths and students of Hoa Binh province celebrating the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and 35th anniversary of the All People’s Defence Day wrapped up on April 25.
Xoe dance, an unique art form of the Thai ethnic minority group in Mai Chau district of Hoa Binh province has existed for a long time and passed down through generations. Xoe dance is not only a popular dance in the Thai community but also a unique cultural feature, an indispensable part in the Thai ethnic minority people's cultural and spiritual life.
The Bac Son pre-school in Hung Son commune, Kim Boi district is effectively implementing a model of preserving and promoting cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group.
Through ups and downs, many unique cultural features of the Muong ethnic minority group are facing risks of falling into oblivion. However, with a strong determination, Lac Son district of Hoa Binh province has deployed synchronous solutions to preserve and promote the locality's cultural heritage values.
If Tan Lac is considered the core of the cradle of Muong culture in Hoa Binh, Phong Phu commune is the cultural centre of Muong culture in Tan Lac district. Luy Ai hamlet in Phong Phu commune is where customs and traditions of Muong Bi are preserved. Luy Ai hamlet was chosen to build a space to preserve Muong ethnic culture. The district is seeking support from the province and coordinating with relevant agencies to devise a plan on preservation of Muong cultural spaces associated with developing tourism products and improving the lives of local residents.
Nguyen Manh Tuan, a Muong ethnic man in Ba Hang Doi town, Lac Thuy district, is known as a young, dedicated, and outstanding artisan who has made significant contributions in collecting, restoring, and preserving national cultural values.