Born and raised in a family with a tradition of bronze casting, since childhood, artisan Nguyen Van Ung was nurtured by his father in the traditional craft. Up to now, at the age of "the third decade of the ancient bridge", artisans are still tirelessly preserving and developing the Ngu Xa bronze casting craft.
Reviving a craft village
Ngu Xa bronze casting village (located in the west of Thang Long citadel, now in Ba Dinh ward, Hanoi) is one of the four quintessential pillars of the ancient Thang Long craft village, including: "Yen Thai flower ling, Bat Trang pottery, Dinh Cong goldsmith, Ngu Xa bronze casting".
Through the ups and downs of history, many people in the village have switched to other jobs or lived elsewhere. The mark of a once-famous bronze casting village is fading away.
Artisan Nguyen Van Ung recounted: In the past, every household in the village worked as a bronze casting profession. But when the war broke out, life was disrupted, and the government's order required the village to switch to aluminum casting production to serve the needs of national defense and people's lives. This has caused the bronze casting profession, despite its history, to gradually be forgotten.
Artisan Nguyen Van Ung is one of the village's youth who participated in the Revolution. After years of serving on the battlefield, due to severe malaria and poor health, he was discharged from the army and returned to his hometown, continuing his father's bronze casting job.
"The war period has not ended, the products made cannot be sold. The pagoda communal house was closed, people were scattered everywhere, I had to switch to making aluminum to serve the people, so I had food to continue learning the bronze craft", Mr. Ung recalled that difficult time.
Currently, the family of artist Nguyen Van Ung is one of the last two households to still be red-hot in the early evening, maintaining the bronze casting profession. However, he had a strong belief that the bronze casting profession could not be lost.
Let the flow continue
"Ngu Xa village has been a bronze casting profession for hundreds of years, when I was in my 16th generation, I was very proud and happy that both of my sons had inherited the profession left by their ancestors," said the artisan.
According to ancient traditions, the bronze casting profession was only passed down to the children and grandchildren in the village. But today, when the modern pace of life makes young people no longer interested in the profession, artisan Nguyen Van Ung opens the door to teach anyone who wants to study. That is the way to keep the profession of our ancestors.
However, not everyone Mr. Ung accepts as his students, only those who truly love the profession, are passionate and persistent are given the profession by him.
The artist shared: For difficult things, only those who are persistent, constantly researching and learning can succeed. The important thing is to always think and worry about how to do it, do it well. The main difficulty is "a ladder for talented people" and also a treasure trove of intelligence".
"The State creates many conditions for the development of traditional crafts, not just the bronze casting profession. Cultural agencies also create policies and honor handicrafts and artisans who have the merit of defending the profession, while creating conditions to bring those products and handicrafts to many places, Mr. Ung expressed.
For the bronze casting profession to survive and develop in the new era, according to artist Nguyen Van Ung, it is important to know how to combine tradition and innovation.
According to him, it is necessary to constantly research and create to improve products, both improving aesthetics and shortening processing time. When doing so, production costs are also reduced, helping many people have the opportunity to own and enjoy beautiful works that they were not previously qualified for.
That is also my wish for my children and many generations to follow the traditional bronze casting profession, said the artisan.
Because, in addition to making products with spiritual and cultural values, bronze smiths also need to grasp modern aesthetic trends, diversify designs to reach young customers and expand export markets.
After more than 40 years of being attached to the "group" of artisans Nguyen Van Ung will continue to "clear the sea", teaching the craft to young people who are passionate and enthusiastic about the craft, so that the fire of bronze casting in Ngu Xa village as well as the traditional values of bronze casting will never go out of stock.
With the efforts of artisans such as Mr. Ung and the government, Ngu Xa bronze casting village has also become an attractive destination to attract tourists, adding cultural unique features to the experience of tourists when coming to Hanoi.
