Buzz
Nha Trang is home to many famous tourist destinations and modern architectural marvels. The city also boasts unique traditional craft villages that offer an exciting experience for tourists. Among them, the bronze casting village of Dien Khanh is highly favored by many tourists when visiting Nha Trang.
A hundred-year-old village ablaze with the fire of bronze casting
Nestled peacefully along the Cai River, the bronze casting village of Dien Khanh is located in Phuc Loc Tay hamlet, Dien Khanh town, less than 10km from the city center of Nha Trang. As a serene bronze casting village with a history spanning hundreds of years, Dien Khanh is renowned for its intricately cast bronze items and exquisite patterns.
The bronze casting village of Dien Khanh was established around the 19th century and was personally recognized by King Tu Duc (of the Nguyen dynasty) as a craft village. Over more than a century of formation and development, the artisans of the village have used their gifted hands to create exquisite bronze items such as incense burners, lamp stands, altar items, and household utensils.
These objects have left a mark on the spiritual and religious life of the people of Nha Trang and the coastal region of Central Vietnam.
From small family-run bronze casting furnaces, these activities are now centralized into a craft village, mainly producing fine art items to serve tourists.
In recent years, tourists have also come to know this village as a beautiful and appealing destination when visiting Nha Trang.
The craft requires great skill
When visiting this Nha Trang tourist destination, tourists will witness the process of creating a bronze product. To produce a finished product, craftsmen must go through many intricate and meticulous steps.
Typically, young men in Phuc Loc Tay village start learning the trade at the age of 11 or 12. It is only when they mature that they are ready to produce a product that meets the quality and standards of Dien Khanh bronze items.
The main stages of bronze casting include mold making, melting the bronze, and pouring it into the mold.
Molds are crafted from clay, lime, sometimes mixed with finely ground fire-resistant bricks, meticulously sieved and finely sifted to ensure flawless pouring of bronze. Subsequently, the molds are fired in a red-hot, evenly heated furnace, ensuring firmness to shape the molds.
Melting bronze is also a meticulous process. The craftsman must constantly observe and calculate to ensure the bronze flows evenly, with the right viscosity. When the bronze is properly melted, it is poured into the mold. During pouring, the process must be continuous and steady-handed to ensure the product comes out of the furnace smooth, sleek, and shiny.
A tranquil countryside by the Cai River
Visiting the bronze casting village of Dien Khanh, tourists will explore a peaceful countryside with hardworking and industrious people. The houses still retain many simple, old-fashioned features with numerous pathways, bronze casting furnaces, clay mold drying yards, and bronze product drying areas.
Strolling through the village lanes, tourists will only see earth, fire, bronze, and the craftsmen. Together, they create a lively and bustling working atmosphere.
When traveling to Nha Trang and visiting the craft village, tourists will experience a vibrant atmosphere filled with the sounds of hammering, clanging, and yards filled with bronze products... Meanwhile, the robust craftsmen are meticulously working through each step to create the most beautiful, highest-quality products.
Following the flow of time, the bronze casting village of Dien Khanh is not just a simple ancient village but has become a tourist attraction in Nha Trang chosen by many tourists when visiting Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa.
