Watch "fire flowers" from the hands of a blacksmith in Hanoi's Old Quarter

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Hung, also known to many as "Hung Lo Ren" is burning with passion to preserve the traditional profession.

NDO - Having started the blacksmithing profession at the age of 10, learning how to select coal, how to light the furnace fire..., Mr. Nguyen Phuong Hung is now over 60 years old but is still determined to keep the traditional profession. Few people know that, after many changes, the entire craft village that once made the name Lo Ren Street, now only Mr. Hung is still diligently keeping the fire burning.

Hanoi 36 streets are often known for their small, interwoven streets, associated with many handicrafts that have become cultural characteristics such as: Hang Bong, Hang Bac, Hang Vai, Thuoc Bac... Among them, Lo Ren is a famous street with products serving production such as plows, hoes, shovels, knives, scissors.

In the memory of Mr. Nguyen Phuong Hung, also known by many people as "Hung the blacksmith", a few decades ago, the furnaces on this small street were always red with fire, and from a few dozen meters away, one could easily hear the sharp, hurried sound of hammers and the bustling, bustling sounds of talking and laughing, buying and selling.

Mr. Hung lights the fire in his handmade furnace at the corner of Lo Ren - Hang Dong streets.

Like other children at that time, from the age of 10, Mr. Hung had to help his father collect coal, light the fire, and prepare tools. However, few people know that the boy Nguyen Phuong Hung used to hate the traditional blacksmithing profession of his grandfather and father "because it was hot, gave him headaches, and was always sweaty, covered in soot and metal dust".

Mr. Hung's most common job is repairing and renewing drill bits and chisels for construction machines.

That is why, after graduating from high school, the young man Nguyen Phuong Hung decided to study mechanical engineering and then work in an auto repair shop. Mr. Hung's life would have been associated with auto parts production, if before his death, his father had not called his children and told them: "Only Hung can continue the family business".

The traditional forge is red hot to welcome new "projects".

At that moment, Mr. Hung suddenly woke up. He realized that, with that same forge, his father had raised 7 children to be educated and become decent people. He officially took over the "business" left by his father, becoming the 3rd generation artisan to keep the fire of his ancestors' forge.

The "fire flowers" crackle, signaling when the raw material is ready for processing.

At this time, Mr. Hung will take the raw materials out of the oven.

Each sharp sound of the hammer is a time when the product gradually takes on more shape and life.

The red glow of the metal ingot through the talented hands of this 64-year-old craftsman.

Nearly 30 years have passed, the manual forges of the 36 streets have gradually cooled down. The artisans, many of whom are the 3rd or 4th generation descendants of that "sweat-making" profession, have gradually put down their hammers or switched to welding, precision mechanics or selling construction materials.

However, in the middle of the old quarter, which is increasingly bustling with modern life, Mr. Nguyen Phuong Hung's furnace is still burning in a space of only ² square meters at the intersection of Lo Ren - Hang Dong (Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi).

"Many people think that blacksmithing is all about health. But in reality, it is not. This profession requires dexterity, meticulousness and high precision. Not only that, the blacksmith also needs to possess experience, sophistication, nimble hands and the ability to concentrate highly. It is not that people have not asked me to learn the profession. But after a while, they all gave up because they found manual blacksmithing too hard," shared the blacksmith born in 1960.

After each forging session, Mr. Hung adds more coal to the stove to heat it up.

Construction drill and chisel tips become sharp as new with each hammer stroke.

"Fireworks" in Mr. Hung's ^2m2 blacksmith workshop.

Indeed, after many unsuccessful visits to his " ^2m2 territory", we have come to understand the meticulousness in each stage of blacksmithing. Once, he simply explained that the temperature and humidity of the day were not suitable for lighting a fire, and the products made would certainly not be of the expected quality.

Mr. Hung has two children, a boy and a girl. However, his son is not healthy enough to follow in his father's footsteps. When mentioning the risk of the family business dying out, he felt a little sad and said in a low voice: "Nowadays, who doesn't want to be leisurely? No one sweats and tears over a thousand-degree hot stove to keep the business alive."

Currently, Mr. "Hung the blacksmith" still receives orders from all over, most of which are repairing drill bits, chisels or making new crowbars, hoes, shovels... Since then, the traditional blacksmithing profession has brought tens of millions of dong in monthly income to the last artisan of the 36 streets of old Hanoi. However, how long will the fire of the forge at that street corner burn red, when that artisan is 64 years old this year?