VI
EN
Visit Dia Linh village and see firsthand the craft of making Kitchen God statues.
My mother called to ask when I would be coming home for Tet (Lunar New Year), and if I would make it in time for the farewell ceremony for the Kitchen God. I left home to study when I was 16, then a little further at 18, and now I work more than 800km away from home—close enough to always be home for Tet, yet far enough to eagerly anticipate my return. Luckily, my job is quite flexible, so I usually come home early, before or on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, to help my mother prepare a simple offering to the Kitchen Gods, the three deities who govern our kitchens.
The statue of the Kitchen God is drying in the sun.
During my trips to Hue, I always dedicate time to immersing myself in the slow pace of life by learning about and interacting with the local people. This time, I visited Dia Linh village because I learned that it is the only place in Hue that still practices the craft of sculpting Kitchen God statues, serving the need for replacing the statues once a year on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month.
From the very first moment I entered the village, walking along the winding paths, I encountered the sight of villagers diligently working by their kilns. Life was bustling yet still retained its peaceful atmosphere. In the courtyards, people were drying the newly molded Kitchen God statues, the lingering scent of clay was truly pleasant.
The craftsmen meticulously put a lot of effort into creating these Kitchen God statues.
Currently, the village of Địa Linh only has 5 workshops making Kitchen God statues, 4 of which are run by brothers from the same family. I visited Ms. Hằng's house to see the process of making Kitchen God statues and had the opportunity to chat with her to learn more about the village craft and this work.
Ms. Hang, around 30 years old, has spent many years making Kitchen God statues. She shared: "It looks simple, but making Kitchen God statues requires meticulousness and carefulness in every step. The selling price is not high, only 5000 VND per statue, so nowadays few people continue the craft. I just make as many as I can, and I've gotten used to it. If I don't do it, I might miss it."
Close-up of the Apple statue
In the final days of the year, the artisans who make Kitchen God statues in Địa Linh work tirelessly to ensure they have enough stock to serve customers. On average, each family produces about 60,000 Kitchen God statues annually, with the bustling activity starting from the ninth lunar month. A complete Kitchen God statue includes the image of two male Kitchen Gods and one female Kitchen God standing side by side.
To create a Kitchen God statue, artisans must go through a meticulous process of selecting and molding the clay. The clay used must be a type of yellow clay, carefully selected and with few impurities. The molds are made from ironwood. After kneading the clay, the craftsman puts the yellow clay into the mold and presses it tightly to prevent the statue from deforming. After being removed from the mold, the statue is dried in the sun until completely dry before being placed in the kiln for firing.
The Kitchen God statue after being painted.
Folk art colors in Sinh painting village
Besides the craft of making Kitchen God statues, the spirit of Tet (Vietnamese New Year) is also strongly present in Sinh village, famous for its paintings used in folk religious practices. Sinh paintings are made on dó paper, a type of paper that is durable, thin, soft, and easily absorbs color. The paintings are printed in various sizes: 25cm x 70cm, 25cm x 35cm, 25cm x 23cm, and 25cm x 17cm.
The village of Sình is also shrinking, with only about 6-10 families and over 30 professional woodblock printmakers remaining, still preserving traditional woodblock printing techniques. From the 10th lunar month, when the ancient capital city is bustling with preparations for Tet (Lunar New Year), the woodblock printing craft attracts 15-17 families with nearly 100 workers, producing on a semi-professional scale.
The picture hanging corner in Mr. Ky Huu Phuoc's house.
I visited the home of artisan Ky Huu Phuoc, who is over 70 years old. He grew up in Sinh village and has been involved in the craft since he was 12. In the past, the village elders called him "Cong," a name signifying his merit and virtue, as he was instrumental in preserving the woodblock printing during the campaign against superstition. Because of this, the village was able to preserve and revive the art of woodblock printing.
Mr. Phuoc's representative woodblock prints include the Eight Musical Instruments (8 types of court musical instruments), the Ông (male) and Bà (female) paintings, and several other paintings used for religious ceremonies. In addition, to suit market tastes, he has carved and printed woodblock prints with bright colors, depicting the life, activities, and scenery of the people of Sinh village.
Tourists try their hand at making paintings in Sinh village.
The woodblock prints of Sinh
The process of making Sinh village paintings includes preparing the printing paper, printing the outlines, and applying the colors. When cutting the paper, the craftsman uses a knife made from bamboo to create naturally frayed edges. When printing the paintings, the artisans apply 2-3 layers of mother-of-pearl powder to the paper, making it both stiff and porous while also giving it a shimmering color.
Sinh village paintings only have one type of line print, because the basic form of Sinh painting is black line printing on plain paper, with lines of varying thickness depending on the subject being depicted. When printing large paintings, the artisans usually fix the woodblocks, apply glue to the printing plate, then place the glued paper on top and use a loofah sponge to smooth the back of the paper before peeling it off. I only practiced making a small painting, so I just fixed the paper on a flat surface, then placed the black-coated printing plate on top and pressed it evenly onto the paper.
The paintings from Sinh village are very colorful.
After the line prints dried, I was instructed to color them. The colors in Sinh paintings are not random, as they follow religious principles, but there is still room for creative flexibility. Therefore, the paintings are not exactly the same, even though they are printed on the same woodblock.
Nowadays, many stages have been simplified and influenced by modern painting techniques. Chemicals and dyes are gradually replacing naturally derived colors due to the shortage of natural materials and price competition.
During its heyday, paintings from Sinh village were even loaded onto boats and transported to various markets such as Sam Market, Dong Ba Market, Mai Market, Sai Market, Song Market, Can Market, Phien Market (Quang Tri), Treo Market (Quang Binh), etc.
Nowadays, folk painting is not as popular as it used to be, but in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), when I set foot in Sinh village, I can still feel the distinctive, unique, and truly beautiful folk culture.
As Tet approaches, this place becomes more crowded and bustling, but it still retains its inherent tranquility and peacefulness.
