The Lam Son driftwood craft village (Luong Son district) has been famous in Hoa Binh for many years. Every year, this place produces thousands of driftwood sculptures, made from dead ancient tree stumps or rotten tree stumps, half-eaten by termites.
Dry tree stumps are brought back by people to create unique wood sculptures (Photo: Minh Nguyen).
The elderly here said that carpentry is not a long-standing traditional profession in the locality. In 1990, some households in the commune saw many available tree stumps with strange shapes, so they brought them home, cleaned them, carved them to their liking, and displayed them in their homes.
From here, the idea of carving and crafting works from tree stumps and driftwood appeared in a few households. At first, people dug up dead tree stumps in the mountains and forests, carved them, and created simple works to sell. Later, seeing the high value of the profession, many people followed suit and their skills gradually improved.
Mr. Bui Anh Quy - Vice Chairman of Lam Son Commune People's Committee - shared that the driftwood craft has been present in the locality for about 30 years. Currently, the commune has many highly skilled artisans, creating valuable works, creating a brand for the craft village.
The stages of driftwood processing are meticulously carried out by artisans (Photo: Minh Nguyen).
"For a long time, driftwood crafting has brought a stable income to people in the commune. Currently, this craft is developing most strongly in Doan Ket hamlet with more than 40 households crafting and trading. The craft village develops, people have a stable income, the number of skilled workers has also increased to more than 100 people," said Mr. Quy.
Mr. Cuong, the owner of a workshop, said that since he was a child, he saw his grandparents, parents and everyone in the neighborhood chiseling to create unique works from lifeless tree stumps and logs.
"After finishing high school, I asked my parents to let me learn this profession and have been doing it ever since. I love this profession, so I want to create more works with the unique beauty of driftwood," Cuong confided.
Driftwood craftsmen "breathe life" into lifeless pieces of wood (Photo: Minh Nguyen).
The young man added that, unlike ordinary wooden statues, each product made from driftwood is different because of its natural beauty. Driftwood is the core of ancient dead trees, eaten by termites, but the core of the tree is very hard.
"From the core of the tree, according to the available shape, the craftsman will create works such as: God of Wealth, Bodhidharma, mascots, animals, trees, birds... The finished works are beautiful, the wood is never damaged so it has a very high aesthetic and economic value," Mr. Cuong revealed.
Driftwood products made by Lam Son villagers are often valued from several million (small products) to several tens of millions of VND. Some works are sold for up to several hundred million VND.
Unique driftwood works are sold for up to hundreds of millions of dong (Photo: Tran Trong).
"The work is valuable, worth hundreds of millions of dong, thanks to the unique and strange shape of the driftwood and the wood quality," Mr. Cuong added.
Mr. Thanh - a driftwood craftsman - said that to create a complete driftwood work, it must go through many stages. From the tree stump, the initial driftwood, the craftsman will come up with an idea, then sketch it on paper, attach it to the actual wood material, and then proceed to drill, chisel, and polish to create a satisfactory work.
"A craftsman does not only need talent or good skills. To create a masterpiece, one must have a special love for the profession. When creating a work, it is like breathing life into it, from a lifeless piece of wood to something more soulful and lively, only then will people be able to see it, enjoy it, and then dare to spend money to buy it and display it at home," Thanh confided.
Driftwood processing brings high income to people in the highlands of Hoa Binh (Photo: Tran Trong).
In Lam Son driftwood craft village, every stage requires skilled workers. Highly skilled workers create high-quality products with an income of tens of millions of dong per month.
On the contrary, those who are new to the profession and work in a general direction do simple tasks, have a stable income, and pay from 300,000-500,000/day.
The Vice Chairman of Lam Son Commune People's Committee added that since 2017, the craft village has been recognized and established by the Provincial People's Committee. In the coming time, the local government has also planned to develop a concentrated production and product display area so that people can further develop their craft, helping to develop the local economy.
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