Relive the Tet holiday of yesteryear through the unique model created by a young man born in the 1980s.

Captivated by the beauty of the past.

Every Tet holiday, the miniature model workshop of Mr. Nguyen Phuc Duc (living in Ho Chi Minh City) becomes bustling. This year, Mr. Duc launched his "Miniature Saigon" product, paying special attention to the details of traditional Tet, captivating many people.

A traditional Tet (Vietnamese New Year) model created by a young man born in the 80s evokes nostalgia in many people (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

The young man said that the inspiration for this year's model comes from his genuine memories of Ho Chi Minh City during Tet (Lunar New Year) in the past. According to Duc, it's difficult to imagine and feel the "flavor" of Tet in the past through just a photograph. But with a miniature model, viewers can easily see the actual scene through meticulous details, fully depicted.

"What I remember most are family memories, memories of my grandparents and parents. I created this model to satisfy those personal feelings. It wasn't until later, with increasing support from people, that I developed it into a communal feeling, no longer confined to the realm of personal emotions. Many people living far from home want to reminisce about the days they spent celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) with their grandparents and parents," Duc said.

The young man shared that all of his products are geared towards family reunion. He believes that as time goes by, loved ones like grandparents and parents will gradually no longer be with their children and grandchildren.

With the desire to recreate beautiful memories, especially for those far from home, Mr. Duc believes that all of his products must be geared towards family reunion.

Moreover, unique features like traditional wooden houses and historical settings have been replaced by modernity, making it difficult for younger generations to rediscover those settings and reminisce.

"There are things that, once lost, can never be recreated. Therefore, I hope these traditional Tet models can somehow help people reminisce," Mr. Duc said.

Not only domestic customers, but also Vietnamese people living abroad find relief from homesickness thanks to his business model.

Looking at the "Miniature Saigon" model, prominent details such as tables, chairs, altars, and New Year's couplets are also clearly depicted by Mr. Duc (Photo: Provided by the artist).

The young man revealed that many of the foreign visitors of Vietnamese origin shared their joy at rediscovering the atmosphere of traditional Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) in Vietnam, which deeply moved him.

"I remember most vividly a girl from abroad who told me she cried when she saw my model. Just looking at a corner of the house in the model, she somehow remembered her father, and then remembered the days of celebrating Tet in Vietnam. Those are incredibly touching stories, and they are also a source of inspiration and motivation for me to continue this journey," the man in his 30s said.

It is known that, in addition to making miniature models for Tet (Vietnamese New Year), Mr. Duc also makes many other models such as old-fashioned cafes and grocery stores. In the future, he plans to develop more miniature models that reflect cultural characteristics, not only in Ho Chi Minh City or the Mekong Delta, but also in other regions.

Driven by love for one's homeland.

According to the owner of the miniature model workshop, creating a miniature model requires many steps, taking 1-2 months to complete. First, the young man in his 30s will come up with an idea and theme, then search for materials and real-life images to create a 3D sketch. After that, Duc will proceed to find suitable materials for the model.

Before packaging, the most difficult step is shaping the product. The person doing it must be extremely meticulous and patient, avoiding overlooking even the smallest details such as cups, plates, flowers, etc.

Typically, wood, dried flowers, metal, etc., are considered the main materials used for miniature models. Depending on the complexity and detail of each model, the price will vary from 70,000 to 600,000 VND.

Even the smallest details are meticulously depicted by Mr. Duc with remarkable clarity (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

"This job requires a lot of patience and meticulousness. Designing the model is easy. But making it both beautiful and easy to assemble, so that players don't get discouraged, is very difficult. If they give up playing, then the model is considered a failure," Duc shared.

According to Duc's account, when he was a child, his father gave him a miniature model of a villa, made of pine wood. Duc considers that birthday gift his most cherished present and always keeps it carefully.

It wasn't until he was an adult, having worked in many different fields, that Duc realized he had to pursue his own passion to truly stand out.

In 2014, this young man born in the 1980s began researching miniature modeling. At that time in Vietnam, this type of modeling was not yet popular and almost no one was doing it; therefore, there were no books or schools that taught this craft.

"I learned on my own through the internet, looked at models from abroad to see how they did things, and gradually studied them. Initially, there were many difficulties because I lacked expertise and there was no training available, so I had to learn mostly on my own. I failed many times, from proportions, colors, materials, etc. Everything was still limited, and the execution was still inaccurate," Mr. Duc said.

A scene of celebrating Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) inside a traditional house (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

Starting his business with immense passion, the "father" of the miniature Saigon model faced no support from his family from the very beginning. Anh Đức recounts that his family and friends thought the model was only for girls to play with and even called him a "madman."

"I don't care what others say. I like to go against the crowd, as long as it's something I'm truly passionate about. I know no one in Vietnam has done this model before, so if I persevere, I believe I'll succeed if not today, then tomorrow. Finally, I now have the answer to everyone's question, 'When will I succeed with this?'" the man in his 30s said with a smile.

Recalling his early days as an entrepreneur, Duc still feels emotional about daring to take 5 million VND from his last month's salary after deciding to quit his job to start his own business. He even sold his motorbike to "nurture" his dream of bringing his product to the entire country.

The young man spent day and night researching and designing models that were highly detailed but easy for users to assemble. He experimented with assembling them himself, discarding one model after another until his hands were calloused and aching, only stopping when he finally succeeded.

Before long, his products became widely known. In five years, from a small bookstore to his own shop, the young man threw himself into his work without regard for profit. To date, Duc has created dozens of different miniature models, mass-producing thousands of them through 65 distribution systems nationwide. New products with themes of the Mekong Delta, Hoi An, etc., are always in high demand.

To date, Mr. Duc has received numerous titles and awards, including: setting the record for "The person who has created the most miniature models of Saigon shops and grocery stores"; Top 100 Golden Star Brands of Vietnam, etc.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/an-sinh/nho-tet-xua-qua-mo-hinh-doc-dao-cua-chang-trai-8x-20240103210933635.htm