Ha Tay (VNA) – Bronze glistened from dozens of street stalls all over Son Dong village on March 13, as the town kicked off its traditional handicraft festival.
Son Dong, a village in Ha Tay province southwest of Ha Noi, is renowned for their traditional cratf of casting bronze statues. The local talent, and their products, shine so brightly that Son Dong statues have become a brand name, reaching international recognition. Statues from the village have been traded to countries around the world.
To recognise the originators of the craft who brought this village to the spotlight, the festival was sure to feature sacred rituals and offerings dedicated to the craft’s initiators. Villagers and visitors then had a chance to peruse the streets and admire first hand the art that’s developed over generations of work.
Nearly 300 casting workshops are scattered around the village. The workshops employed nearly 4,000 workers including both local residents and mimigrants.
A village that used to just collect and sell scrap iron, the handicraft town has now become a major supplier, producing thousands of gilded devotional objects and bronze statues annually. The people of Son Dong also helped repair and restore damaged ancient items of the Hue Royal Citadel.
With traditional craft slowly being lost over generations, the youth employed in the festival had the opportunity to recognise the importance of preserving their traditional craft, with modern vices so often replacing traditional practices, festivals like this help pass along knowledge to future generations.-Enditem
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