Record setting craftsman Ngoc Minh's latest feat is a unique gift to the nation - the “Thien long Viet do” (Divine Dragons - Map of Vietnam) filled with a thousand golden dragons
Ngoc Minh aka Tran Van Anh likes setting records.
He already has two entries to his name in the Vietnam Record Book, one for the “Bach tam do” (a map shaped by 100 “heart” words) and “Bach nhan do” (a map shaped by 100 “patience” words).
These feature respectively the collection of a hundred designs of the Vietnamese words “tam” (heart) and “nhan” (patience).
In his “final” and most ambitious undertaking, Ngoc Minh decided on a map of Vietnam covered with a 1000 dragons made of gold.
The “Thien long Viet do” (Divine Dragons : Map of Vietnam) is a map of Vietnam, which is six meters in height and 3 meters in width and inspired by shape of a giant dragon, which is in turn is filled with smaller dragons symbolizing different localities including islands. The highlight of the map is Thang Long (now known as Hanoi), also represented by a gold dragon weighing 1.8 kilos.
The artwork by craftsman Ngoc Minh, who lives in Nam Phuoc Village of the south central costal province of Quang Nam, is his gift to the capital city on the occasion of its 1000th anniversary.
This work took him at least three years to complete with the help of 14 other craftsmen – five painters, five carpenters and four jewelers. “This work is the best proof of our patience during a long period. This is not simply a feedback to the campaign to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long by the organizers, but it is, truly, our big love and also our dream to find something precious enough to contribute respectfully towards the ceremony.”
Finding the dragons
Dragons have played an important part in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people since the early days of the country. They appear in a variety of forms in our lives, as a royal symbol in the court or a religious symbol in the pagoda. They are carved on daily-use tools as well as decorations, and are featured in poetry, architecture, construction, literature and also history.
But this pervasive influence and presence of the dragon did not make it easy for Ngoc Minh to find 1,000 different kinds of dragons. He spent many months traveling round the country to find some “new dragons”, and also searched on the Internet for them. He copied patterns from pagoda roofs, at royal courts and also from old-fashioned bowls and cups. His friends in the south and north of the country helped in the search.
The variety of dragons was a constant inspiration for Minh and his team. Minh explained that if they were carving just one dragon everyday, it would have become monotonous, especially considering that the project would take as long as three years to complete.
“Everyday, we started with a fresh idea about a new dragon design. To get a new one right was always difficult, but it kept our interest keen and the passion strong.”
The frame for the map, made of the luxurious mengarit and the Hopea pierrei wood, was carved with dragon patterns by experienced carpenters from the carpenter villages of Kim Bong, Hoi An, and Duy Xuyen.
On completing the map, Minh and his team, were able to remember all the provinces and cities of Vietnam, from the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau at the bottom to the northeastern province of Ha Giang at the very top. They also learned by heart the 200 big and small islands belonging to the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes.
Talking about early days, Minh somewhat sadly said that his project did not receive any sponsorship from local enterprises. “Some of them did not trust my project and they called it crazy and infeasible. All I have today, the victory and the compliments from everyone, mostly are thanks to the encouragement and support from my relatives and artist friends.
“This, maybe, is the final record in my life since I cannot complete a new collection of a pattern in the tens of thousands or more of different designs.”
“Thien long Viet do” has since occupied pride of place, being selected as a special offering from the central province of Quang Nam to the ceremony commemorating the 1000th ceremony of Thang Long – Ha Noi. Minh said he would hire guards and even purchase insurance for his artwork.
Judging the artwork by Minh, historian Duong Trung Quoc had only this to say: “Highly admirable, excellent!”. Dinh Hai, Director of the Quang Nam Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said proudly: “This is the most beautiful national map ever in the world. I believe that this is the most precious gift for the 1000th ceremony in the north. The work is not only a proof of the love of a craftsman towards his country, it also honors the diligence, the beauty of art and talent of the craftsmen in the central region. It is an inspiration for the country and our future generations.”
