900-year-old bronze casting village in Nam Dinh races for Tet

Lang nghe duc dong Tong Xa (thi tran Lam, huyen Y Yen, tinh Nam Dinh) da ton tai hon 900 nam va la mot trong so nhung lang nghe truyen thong noi tieng o Nam Dinh.

Tong Xa bronze casting village (Yen Xa commune, now Lam town, Y Yen district, Nam Dinh province) has existed for more than 900 years. Near Tet is the time when the bronze casting furnaces operate at full capacity. Each furnace has about a dozen people, working day and night.

Theo nhung nghe nhan co kinh nghiem o lang nghe Tong Xa, de tao ra mot san pham lam bang dong hoan chinh phai trai qua 7 cong doan.

According to experienced artisans in Tong Xa craft village, to create a complete bronze product, it must go through 7 stages.

Anh Hoang Duy Cuong (39 tuoi, chu co so duc dong lang nghe Tong Xa)

Mr. Hoang Duy Cuong (39 years old, owner of Tong Xa bronze casting facility) said: "During the peak month of Tet, my facility cooks about 4 tons of bronze/month. Each time I cook, I have to balance the amount of bronze to cast the product, so that there is neither excess nor shortage. Bronze casting requires meticulousness and care, because it is exposed to temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. During the cooking process, we have to pay attention to see if the bronze water flows evenly and at the right level before pouring it into the mold."

Dong xong khi nau se duoc do vao khuon dat dap san

In the photo is the process of pouring the melted copper into the mold to create the product shape.

After casting, the bronze will be removed from the mold for the final stages.

Cuoi cung, chiec lu dong trai qua qua trinh lam nguoi, mai giua, cham khac hoa van va danh bong roi thanh pham.

"Finally, bronze casting products go through the process of cooling, grinding, carving patterns and polishing to create the finished product. This is also the stage that determines the "soul" of the product and depends entirely on the hands of the craftsman," said Mr. Nguyen Huu Bay (51 years old), who has been involved in the bronze casting profession in Tong Xa since childhood.

Product lines and patterns are polished and carved delicately.

Nhung thang giap Tet, san pham ban ra cua cac lo duc len den vai tram bo/thang. Gia ca tuy vao do cong phu va kich co ma dao dong tu 3 trieu den chuc trieu dong/bo, hoac co the cao hon tuy san pham.

During the months before Tet, the products sold by foundries reach several hundred sets per month. Prices vary depending on the complexity and size, from 3 million to tens of millions of VND per set, or even higher depending on the product.