The Southeast region, throughout its 325-year history of formation and development, has maintained a consistent association with traditional craft villages, notably those specializing in stone carving. Examples include the villages located in Buu Long and Hoa An wards in Bien Hoa City of Dong Nai Province and Phu My Town of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. However, despite their historical significance, these stone carving traditions are currently facing a substantial risk of extinction, attributable to both the inherent fluctuations of economic and social development and the advancements in science and technology.
Stone carving is a hard job
In Buu Long Ward of Bien Hoa City, the road to Buu Long stone carving village is flanked by stacks of large stones. Artisans in the village use carving machines to create products like statues of famous people and rockery.
The atmosphere of the village is quite deserted, very few customers come to buy products to decorate, or give as gifts to friends and relatives.
Ly Hung Lam, the presiding figure of the Tran Bien Stone Crafting Club, expressed concern regarding the industry's decline, moaning that historically, the region supported numerous stone carving enterprises, characterized by a robust market demand. Currently, the number of active establishments is severely diminished.
Furthermore, the younger people in the community are increasingly pursuing alternative vocational paths, including skilled labor and other professional fields, resulting in a marked disinterest in perpetuating the traditional craft.
Mr. Lam's father is Chinese, his mother is Vietnamese, his family has 3 generations of stone carving. When he was young, Mr. Lam followed his father to learn the profession, grew up and studied at Ho Chi Minh City College of Culture and Fine Arts, and has been involved in stone carving until now.
In 2015, he and a fellow artisan opened a stone carving workshop spanning over 1,000 square meters near the Tran Bien Temple of Literature. They utilized durable blue-gray granite mined from the Bien Hoa City region to craft statues of renowned figures and tombstones.
Mr. Lam notes that in its heyday, the Tran Bien Stone Crafting Club is home to 10 workshops. Currently, only three remain operational, and they function primarily on a seasonal basis or by special order, resulting in frequent periods of inactivity. Mr. Lam's brothers, Ly Hung Dung and Ly Hung Kiet, are also talented craftsmen known for their stone sculptures of notable figures and artists. However, they have retired and spent their time at home creating product samples for manufacturing facilities.
Tran Duy Phong, a member of the Tran Bien Stone Crafting Club, established a stone crafting workshop five years ago, initially employing three workers. In response to a shortage of sculpture orders, his facility has diversified to produce bonsai pots, which are crafted and polished from large stone slabs. Mr. Phong revealed that stone carving is a family tradition that has been passed down since his grandfather's era.
Stone carving demands a combination of carefulness, perseverance, diligence, meticulous attention to detail, and a strong sense of creativity paired with high aesthetic standards. However, the profession of a stonemason is fraught with risks, as they operate with their bare hands using tools such as hammers, chisels, saws, and grinders. Stone workers endure physical challenges, laboring intensely to ‘bring the stone to life’.
Craft villages’ orientation is combined with tourism
The exact origins of the stone carving village remain unclear; however, it is recognized that following the liberation of the South region, numerous stone carving businesses emerged at the base of Ong Trinh Mountain in the Tan Phuoc and Phuoc Hoa wards of Phu My town, located in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. Presently, approximately 60 establishments and households along National Highway 51 are engaged in the production of split stone, paving stone, and stone carvings, providing employment for around 300 workers.
Dinh Khac Vinh, owner of Van Phuoc stone carving establishment, said that about 20 years ago, he came to the area near the foot of Ong Trinh Mountain to start a business in stone carving, because there were many religious establishments in the locality and there was also an abundant source of granite. Over time, customers' demands became higher, requiring better product quality, so white stone had to be imported from Nghe An and Yen Bai provinces.
The products are not only sold locally but are also exported to nearby areas, including Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong Province as well as some areas in the Southwest, and they receive a handful of international orders each year. Mr. Vinh notes that customers primarily value the craftsmanship and design, which leads them to place orders without being overly concerned about costs. Between 2010 and 2017, the trend of engaging with fine art stone gained popularity, resulting in a significant number of orders from companies and providing workers with relatively high incomes. However, similar to other industries, the stone carving profession has experienced a decline as economic challenges have led to a decrease in orders.
Additionally, the work involved is physically demanding, frequently subjecting workers to dust, and mastering the trade can be quite challenging, which results in limited interest in the profession. To address these challenges, many business owners have shifted to a model where they contract work directly to employees, compensating them upon completion rather than through traditional payment methods. A significant issue facing the fine art stone carving industry is the prevalence of noise and dust pollution. Consequently, many business owners are seeking assistance to establish dedicated production facilities that promote an appropriate environment for the job’s sustainable growth.
Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province plans to address environmental pollution in its traditional craft villages, including the relocation of polluting facilities, according to an official of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
On Quang Dung, owner of a stone carving workshop on Huynh Van Nghe Street in Bien Hoa City said that before the Covid-19 pandemic, the items sold well, but after the pandemic, the quantity decreased by 70 percent.
