Unique Miniatures of Vietnamese Architecture
With a passion nurtured from a young age and self-taught creativity, Truong Van Bo, a young man from Hanoi, has recreated Vietnamese architectural masterpieces through unique miniature models.
At just seven years old, Bo loved playing with sand and soil to create small houses. Later, while studying at Thuy Loi University and learning to read mechanical drawings, he began to transform Vietnamese architecture into miniature products.
Bo said, "My first piece was the One Pillar Pagoda, which took me two months to complete. Getting started was quite challenging due to my lack of experience, materials, and funds. It took a year to finish my first five-compartment house model and share it online. Eventually, someone persuaded me to sell it, and that’s how I started my business".
Subsequent works, including the Thay Pagoda, Turtle Tower, One Pillar Pagoda, Khue Van Pavilion, and the Flag Tower, were crafted into unique miniature art pieces. Bo found himself increasingly captivated by these creations that embody Vietnamese culture. Additionally, he began taking custom orders to recreate customers' former homes, particularly traditional houses from northern Vietnamese villages that had been demolished for new construction.
Creating these models requires materials such as cement, tile, and steel frames. After conceptualizing and drafting a design, Bo builds the foundation, erects the walls, tiles the roof, and paints the details. Finally, he adds elements like plants, mountains, and ponds to complete and perfect the piece. The most time-consuming part is tiling the roofs, as it involves meticulously attaching each tiny tile in overlapping layers. On average, it takes about two weeks to complete a work.
Bo notes that the standard size of his models is approximately 80x60cm, but he customizes them based on customer requests. Today, his miniatures of Vietnamese architecture attract middle-aged customers, with prices ranging from 10 to 40 million dong (400 -1600 US dollars) per piece.
Story: Ngan Ha
Photos: Khanh Long/VNP
Translated by Nguyen Tuoi