Exploring our land

A Miniature Model of An Ancient House in Northern Vietnam

Visiting the capital’s first Ornamental Plant and Pet Festival held in the Vinhomes Riverside ecological urban area in Long Bien District,  viewers were enchanted by a delicate work entitled  “Father’s Homeland”.
The bonsai, owned by Nguyen Ngoc Quy, a member of the Hoa Phuong Bonsai Club in Hai Phong, was set up beautifully with a miniature model of an ancient house in the old architectural style of the northern people.  All details of the house were made by hand meticulously, including tiles, bricks, a water jar and tank, and furniture inside the house.

Nguyen Ngoc Quy said that he was very lucky to own such a wonderful work which was built by a teacher. “I like to look back at memories of times gone by and am interested in traditional artistic works and bonsai. Therefore, I wanted to own the artwork when I saw it,” Quy added.


Panoramic view of the delicate work “Father’s Homeland”. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


Every detail is made to look like real ones. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


The house bears the architectural style  of  a traditional house in the north. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


The brick wall surrounding  the house. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


The road in front of the house in the work “Father’s Homeland”. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


Jars, a rain water container, and a watering trough are seed in the  work. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP



The house has a large yard with old trees. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


The kitchen and space for husking rice. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


The familiar image of a pond in front of the house. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


A straw bale at a corner of the yard is indispensible part of  a houses in the north. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


Areca  and banana trees are planted in front  front of and behind every house respectively in Northern Vietnam.
Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


All parts of the house, such as the gate, mossy walls, yard and trees give viewers a familiar feeling.
Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


All details of the house were made by hand meticulously, such as tiles, bricks and a water jar.
Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


The work “Father’s Homeland” reminds people of a northern countryside. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP


The work “Father’s Homeland” owned by Nguyen Ngoc Quy draws much attention from bonsai fans in Hanoi
at the capital’s first Ornamental Plant and Pet Festival. Photo: Tran Cong Dat/VNP

According to Quy, it took the teacher more than three years to complete this house which reminds him of his father’s homeland - a village in the north. The teacher diligently collected decorative objects and created each tile, brick and others to build the miniature. Quy then meticulously added the work with plants, and water to create a pond to  help it look more eye-catching.

Due to rapid urbanisation,  ancient houses with the traditional architectural style of a garden, a pond and walls made from rice straws are gradually being replaced by modern and high buildings. Therefore, memories of a traditional countryside village have faded in the minds of many people. The artwork “Father’s Homeland”  partly contributes to reproducing a typical rural northern village and reminds visitors of beautiful images of the past.

 

Only seeing the photographs of the artwork, one can recognise the maker’s meticulousness in arranging tiles and bricks to overlap each other  or setting up a  buffalo coop and a familiar place for husking rice. 

By Tran Cong Dat


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