Right from July 2025, Mr. Dinh Van Tam (35 years old, residing in Trieu Binh commune) and a group of colleagues came up with the idea of making a truly impressive horse statue. Not chasing a hasty pace, the whole group agreed to take advantage of lunch breaks and evenings to brainstorm ideas, buy materials and construct, with the goal of creating a product that is both durable and highly aesthetic.
Because it was only done in his spare time, the process of completing the statue lasted many months. However, according to Mr. Tam, that slowness helped each detail to be cared for more carefully. By January 23, the statue had only a few small points to be completed, but the overall picture was very prominent, creating a strong impression on viewers.
The horse statue is 2.2 m high, 2.6 m long, the outer part is covered with a yellow aluminum layer, creating a shimmering light reflection effect when displayed. According to calculations, if not including labor costs, the cost of materials and arising expenses to make the statue alone is about 40 million VND.
When the statue was basically completed, Mr. Tam posted the image on social networks and expressed his desire to auction it to raise funds to make Tet gifts for the poor. This humanitarian idea quickly received the attention and support of the community. After that, the People's Committee of Khe Sanh commune decided to buy the statue for 70 million VND. It is expected that after completing the final details, the statue will be handed over to the locality in the coming days.
With the collected money, Mr. Tam and his colleagues agreed to allocate the entire amount for activities to support people in difficult circumstances during Tet. Initially, the group allocated 25 million VND to contribute to the Tet program for the poor organized by the Trieu Binh Commune People's Committee, and part of the funding from selling horse statues will be given as gifts to households in difficult circumstances in Khe Sanh commune.
My group will allocate a little each place, use up 70 million VND to sell horse statues and then stop, true to the initial purpose of helping people celebrate Tet warmer" - Mr. Tam shared.
According to the People's Committee of Khe Sanh commune, during the 2026 Binh Ngo Lunar New Year, the locality will organize the "Khe Sanh Market" to serve the joyful Spring needs of people and tourists. The horse statue will be displayed in the market space, creating a cultural highlight, and at the same time spreading a message of sharing. Notably, the cost of buying the statue is socialized, not using the state budget. Right on the opening day of the market, the commune will also organize the "Joining Hands of Kindness" program and give Tet gifts to people in difficult circumstances.
It is known that in addition to this horse statue fundraising, Mr. Dinh Van Tam and his team also made many other horse statues according to orders from agencies, organizations, and individuals. Mr. Tam is a familiar face every Tet holiday, known as the author of many large-scale mascots and decorative statues, once attracting a large number of people to visit and take photos, contributing to creating a bustling and warm atmosphere in the early days of Spring.
