About 20km east of Thai Binh ward center (Hung Yen province), nestled along Dong Giang river, Dong Xam village (Tra Giang commune, Hung Yen province) has left its mark on the traditional craft map with sophisticated metal products imbued with the national spirit. The sound of hammers and chisels echoes every day from small workshops, creating a typical rhythm of life of a countryside associated with silver carving for nearly 600 years.

Following the instructions of the locals, I stopped in front of the house of People's Artisan and veteran Pham Van Nhieu - one of the few senior craftsmen still attached to the traditional silver carving technique. Without an ostentatious signboard, the house was immersed in the sound of metal clashing, as regular as a piece of professional music.

People's artisan Pham Van Nhieu works hard on his silver carvings.

Under the yellow light shining on the workbench, Mr. Nhieu bent down, meticulously touching the surface of the silver plate with his nose. At a rare age, with hands roughened by the years, the artisan still made firm, decisive strokes. Seeing me, he smiled gently: "Just doing it for a long time makes my hands familiar, it becomes a reflex. Now, without holding the tools, I feel something is missing."

20 years old following the sacred call of the Fatherland

Born in 1943, in a family with a tradition of silver carving in Dong Xam village (Hong Thai commune, Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh province, now Tra Giang commune, Hung Yen province), Mr. Pham Van Nhieu was exposed to the profession from a young age. By the age of 13, Nhieu had mastered the basic techniques and made many beautiful products.

“After the August Revolution, my village was very bustling. The Dong Xam silver carving profession developed with the scale of a team and 3 cooperatives, and the number of people following the profession increased. Carved products were regularly exported to the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. In 1958, I was only 15 years old but I became a craftsman making important products in the team,” Mr. Nhieu proudly said.

In 1963, while the craft village was flourishing and his skills were becoming more and more solid, but following the sacred call of the Fatherland, Pham Van Nhieu put down his carving table and joined the army to protect his homeland. After 3 months of training as a new soldier, the young soldier was assigned to the 41st Artillery Company, under the Navy.

“In 1965, during a battle on the coast of Thanh Hoa province, I was hit by enemy shrapnel in my leg and chest. The wound was excruciatingly painful, but at that time I only thought about the battlefield and the mission, I still tried to stay with my teammates and complete my mission,” Mr. Nhieu recalled.

In 1966, Pham Van Nhieu was assigned to Artillery Company 14, under Military Region 3. The unit's task was to coordinate with local militia, build fortifications, field artillery positions, and be ready to fight back against enemy air raids and sea landings... In 1970, due to a relapse of his wound and declining health, Pham Van Nhieu was discharged from the army and returned to his hometown.

The hand that breathes life into silver

The years of training in the military environment have instilled in young soldier Pham Van Nhieu a strong will, disciplined manner and a spirit of dedication to the community. Returning to his hometown when his health had not yet fully recovered, he did not choose to rest, but continued to pursue his father's traditional silver carving profession.

Thanks to his solid skills and high sense of responsibility, he was entrusted with the responsibility of the mechanical team in Dong Xam Silver Carving Cooperative. In 1987, he was elected Chairman of the Cooperative, which gathered about 400 to 500 skilled craftsmen, responsible for the production of sophisticated silver carvings, mainly for export.

“In 1990, Dong Xam Silver Carving Cooperative was dissolved, and the craft village entered a difficult period. Many craftsmen had to find their own way to make a living. Those who could still keep their craft stayed at home, and those who could not stay had to turn to another direction,” said Mr. Pham Van Nhieu.

Carrying with him the concern about a silver carving village that was gradually losing the sound of hammers and chisels, in 1993, Mr. Nhieu left his hometown and went to Ho Chi Minh City with the determination to preserve the profession and find a way to develop Dong Xam products.

Here, fate brought him to meet a Taiwanese (Chinese) businessman who had a special passion for traditional handicraft products. As soon as he saw the sophisticated carvings bearing the unique cultural imprint of Dong Xam village, the customer immediately placed his first order. Realizing that this was a valuable opportunity to restore and promote the ancestral craft, Mr. Nhieu returned to his hometown and invited 3 highly skilled carvers and 2 forgers to work on the order.

The first products were created, meticulously crafted, with attention to every detail, and completely conquered foreign customers. From there, the cooperation between Mr. Nhieu and his Taiwanese partner was established. This was an important turning point, opening a development direction for the Dong Xam silver carving profession in a difficult context.

To expand production scale, Mr. Nhieu proactively sought out groups of skilled workers and households to connect with. Thanks to his personal reputation and understanding of the profession, he created stable jobs for 100-150 local workers. With high-quality products, guaranteed progress and rich craftsmanship, he has maintained a sustainable cooperation with Taiwanese partners since 1994.

“In the past, the silver carving profession in Dong Xam was only passed down to sons and daughters-in-law in the family, not taught to outsiders. Therefore, for generations, my village has kept its own secrets. Up to now, some techniques are no longer exclusive, but the art of carving (the most quintessential part of the profession) of Dong Xam people still retains the essence and soul of the ancient craftsmen. That is something that no other place in the country has,” Mr. Nhieu shared.

Mr. Pham Van Nhieu’s family workshop is now a gathering place for experienced craftsmen, most of whom have been in the profession for over 40 years. Each person is responsible for a different stage in the manufacturing chain, from smoothing, fighting, and drilling to carving. Each step requires coordination, delicacy, and technical proficiency. Depending on the product model, the craftsman may have to shape before carving, or vice versa, carving first and then forming the block.

For Mr. Pham Van Nhieu, silver carving is not simply a profession, but a process of training both hands and will. “There is no room for error, just one wrong carving and the whole product is considered useless. To pursue the profession, the craftsman not only needs skillful hands, but also creativity, patience and a true love for each chisel and carving,” he shared.

Having been involved in silver carving for nearly 70 years, he has deeply understood the changes in the life of the craft village. The joy of living with the sound of chisels and files every day is still present, but in his eyes, he cannot hide his concerns about the future of the traditional profession. Currently, the number of young people learning the craft is decreasing, while the skilled workers are gradually getting older. The story of preserving the craft therefore becomes more urgent.

Concerned with this situation, Mr. Nhieu devoted much of his heart to passing on his craft. Over the years, he and other artisans in the village have organized free vocational training classes, patiently guiding young students. For those who are truly passionate, he is willing to open his workshop and wholeheartedly teach them each line. From his experienced hands, new hands have gradually formed, keeping the silver carving profession here never extinguished.

With his persistent contributions to preserving and promoting traditional crafts, Mr. Pham Van Nhieu was awarded the title of Meritorious Artisan by the President in 2010, and People's Artisan in 2016.

At the age of 82, his hair has turned grey but his eyes still shine with passion for the traditional craft. After nearly 70 years of carving each pattern and motif, he has not only contributed to preserving the soul of Dong Xam craft village but also passed on the flame of the craft to the next generation. Looking at him, people clearly see the image of a generation that once fought for the country, now continuing to fight tirelessly to preserve traditional cultural values with the hands of artisans. A lifetime as a soldier, a lifetime as a craftsman, Mr. Pham Van Nhieu not only showed his silver but also his heart and soul, carving his love for his homeland into every carving.

And perhaps, it is people like him who have created the quiet yet profound melody of the nearly 600-year-old craft village, so that every time Dong Xam is mentioned, people remember a simple yet imaginative song: "Your hands are golden/Your hands are silver/Enriching the homeland...".

Article and photos: TRAN HAI LY

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/nghe-nhan-nhan-dan-cuu-chien-binh-pham-van-nhieu-gan-70-nam-det-vang-len-sac-bac-dong-xam-839368