Keeping the fire of Phu Yen carpentry

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hieu at his family's carpentry workshop.

Phu Yen carpentry village has a history of hundreds of years, famous for its sophisticated wooden household products, tables, chairs, altars, and worshiping objects, bearing the traditional craft mark of the Doai region. Through many historical changes, this place is still preserved, passed down from generation to generation as a continuous cultural flow.

According to Mr. Tran Van Son, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Nghia Commune, the whole village currently has nearly 400 households engaged in carpentry, with more than 100 small and medium-sized workshops, creating stable jobs for hundreds of local workers. The good news is that among them, there are dozens of young workshop owners, from 25 to 35 years old, who are inheriting the traditional profession in a creative and professional way.

One of the typical faces of the young generation working in the profession of building ancient wooden houses is Mr. Nguyen Huu Hieu (born in 1993), owner of Nguyen Hieu carpentry workshop.

From a small carpentry workshop, he invested in modern machinery, used 3D design software, promoted products through social networks and e-commerce platforms. After 4 years, his carpentry workshop developed with 7 main workers, 10 seasonal workers, achieving an average revenue of 7 to 10 billion VND per year.

The old house was built by Mr. Nguyen Huu Hieu's workshop.

Not only Mr. Hieu, many young people like Mr. Nguyen Chi Dat (born in 1993), owner of Chi Dat carpentry workshop, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vu (born in 1990), owner of Quang Vu carpentry workshop specializing in building ancient wooden houses and high-class furniture serving people in all provinces and cities across the country.

“Carpentry nowadays is not just about chiseling. Young people like us have to know how to update trends, aesthetics, use technology and marketing skills to compete,” Mr. Dat shared.

According to Mr. Nguyen Chi Tai, Chairman of Phu Yen Village Craft Association, the young generation is the bright spot of the craft village in the past 5-7 years.

“I am very happy to see many young people returning to their profession, applying technology to production, promoting products online, and using 3D designs to help customers visualize the model. They are helping Phu Yen carpentry stand firm in the new period,” Mr. Tai commented.

However, Mr. Tai also pointed out some shortcomings that craft villages are currently facing, especially the fragmented and narrow production space.

“Woodworking workshops are often located in residential areas, and the machines operate day and night, causing dust and noise, which significantly affects people’s lives. We hope that the government will soon plan a cluster of concentrated craft villages with synchronous infrastructure, clean and environmentally friendly,” Mr. Tai suggested.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Dat next to the newly completed ancient house in Kim Thanh commune, Hai Phong .

On the local side, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune Tran Van Son said that Phu Nghia commune will propose to the city to plan a cluster of concentrated craft villages to support production households to develop stably and sustainably. At the same time, the commune will coordinate with the Farmers' Association and the Youth Union to support young people's start-up models through training courses, market connections and digital transformation orientation.

Working in a traditional profession in a modern context, young people like Mr. Dat and Mr. Hieu cannot help but worry. “Preserving the soul of the profession is a prerequisite, from the structure of the wooden house, the patterns to the materials. But if we do not innovate in the way we do things, it is easy to fall behind. I choose to maintain the tradition in the profession, but innovate in the approach and management,” Mr. Dat explained.

Currently, Mr. Dat uses 3D design software to help customers visualize the product, thereby reducing editing time and increasing accuracy. Order management, materials, and production progress are tracked using Google Sheet or simple software. The factory also invests in filming the production process and introducing products on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, etc. to help customers feel more secure and confident.

When asked about their future direction, the young bosses in Phu Yen had a well-planned plan.

“I want to invest in more machinery to support the rough part, thereby focusing on improving the quality of carving, which is the soul of the product. I am also building a professional brand, from logo, brand to communication content,” said Mr. Vu.

Red wooden church built by Quang Vu workshop.

Sticking with his hometown’s traditional profession, Mr. Vu shared his expectations: “I hope the government will provide more specific support, from site planning to capital policies, market connections and digital transformation. We need more motivation to stick with the profession for the long term.”

He also hopes that the community will have a more open and respectful view of traditional occupations. “Many people think that carpentry is old and hard work, but in fact, if done properly and creatively, the profession can still thrive. When society respects those who do the job, we have more reasons to preserve our national cultural identity.”

It can be said that the combination of the quintessence of the ancient craft and the innovative spirit of the young generation is opening up a bright future for Phu Yen carpentry village. The young people here have brought the traditional carpentry profession to rise strongly in the flow of the times to create sustainable values for their homeland.

nhandan.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/giu-lua-nghe-moc-phu-yen-post649371.html