Buzz
Foreign visitors are enchanted by the exquisite products made from bamboo in Vietnam.
The distinctive feature of these dragonflies made from bamboo is their ability to balance on the sharp beak, based on the principle of gravitational balance. What creates balance for these dragonflies is a pair of intricately curved wings, a delicately crafted body, and a light tail. As a result, the center of gravity is concentrated on the point of the beak, allowing the dragonflies to stand all day without fear of falling.
Dragonfly wings, each side with a pair.
Located near Tay Phuong Pagoda, Thach Xa village still retains lush green rice fields, but it has become quite urbanized. I visited the bamboo dragonfly production facility of Lien Xoan. Xoan and her husband are rare artisans in the village who are still dedicated to their craft.
Bamboo dragonflies - the craftsmanship of Thach Xa village.
These bamboo dragonflies are now more beautiful and can 'fly' even farther.
Creating a bamboo dragonfly involves many stages, with ingenuity and intricacy in the woodworking phase. The dragonfly body is split from pre-determined bamboo strands. Then, using a knife, the beak and tail are carved, followed by bending the beak using a hot iron rod. Next, four holes are drilled into the body to insert the wings diagonally towards the head.
Bamboo core, then separated into small pieces to make the dragonfly body.
Use a large knife to process the body of the bamboo dragonfly.
Drill the body of the bamboo dragonfly to attach the wings.
The wings are also precisely sharpened by a machine in a specific ratio, ensuring proper weight distribution. Subsequently, the wings are inserted into the body, testing the balance on a small piece of wood instead of the fingertip, and then glued to secure them.
Wing sharpening machine for bamboo dragonflies.
Test the balance of the bamboo dragonfly.
Afterwards, the bamboo dragonflies are passed through fire to burn off excess bamboo fibers, making the product look smoother. The final steps involve painting and decorating. A bamboo dragonfly can have multiple colors or a single color. This is the stage that determines their captivating appearance.
Raw bamboo dragonflies waiting for painting and decorating.
Mrs. Xoan took me up to see the area where the bamboo dragonflies are dried after painting. Rows of colorful dragonflies are laid out on racks. These dragonflies, when finished, will be taken to the market and sent to tourist destinations and temples.
Bamboo dragonflies painted and decorated. Ready for drying.
Now, let's wait for them to dry.
If you visit Tay Phuong Pagoda, just a few hundred meters away, you'll see a variety of bamboo dragonfly products. In addition to bamboo dragonflies in various sizes, from tiny to gigantic depending on custom orders, Mrs. Xoan also crafts turtles, butterflies, and birds from bamboo.
There are also bamboo turtles, just so you know.
Thach Xa craft village has only been around for the past 20 years and has experienced a golden age. At present, there are relatively few people in the profession. I met a young student, studying in Hanoi, who comes back every weekend to assist Mrs. Xoan's family in painting and decorating. She has been involved with these bamboo dragonflies for over 10 years.
Painting each decorative line with meticulous precision.
Like many other craft villages in Hanoi, the bamboo dragonfly craft is facing the risk of decline due to various objective conditions. Nevertheless, I still believe that bamboo dragonflies have a place in the hearts of tourists, especially foreigners. I sincerely hope for the interest of the younger generation in this traditional craft, so that the wings of these dragonflies can soar even higher into the world.
Let the bamboo dragonflies spread their wings high and far.
Some tips for visitors to Thach Xa craft village:
- Transportation: From Yen Nghia bus station, take bus 89 to Son Tay, get off at the stop near Tay Phuong Pagoda. Thach Xa craft village is located on the road to the pagoda, about 500m from the intersection. If you're on a motorbike, go straight on Thang Long Avenue and then follow the direction towards Tay Phuong Pagoda.
- Contact in advance to visit the production workshop when someone is working. You can visit the Lien Xoan workshop (contact: 0946147086 or 0979480765).
- Combine a visit to Thach Xa craft village with Tay Phuong Pagoda, a special national monument in Hanoi, considered a masterpiece of Vietnamese architectural and sculptural art.
Author: Mai Minh Duc
*Article participating in the Mytour Golocal program.
Mytour Golocal is a blog writing program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam. This is a great opportunity to promote local tourism to everyone. For each qualified article, you will receive 800,000 VND and the chance to become a collaborator with Mytour. Details about the program can be found at: https://www.Mytour/en-vn/golocal
