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| Young craftsman next to a block of wood. Photo: Truong Son |
Beginning his journey in the craft
In Hamlet 11, Trung Dong area, My Thuong Ward, Tran Phuoc Hoang’s small workshop is lit up every day. In the space filled with the scent of fresh wood, the young craftsman diligently works beside wooden panels, meticulously carving every detail. He is one of the very few young people in Hue who still pursues the craft of carving ancestral tablets, a craft associated with solemnity and demanding great patience.
Few know that Hoang initially started on a different path. When he was 15, he quit school and apprenticed as a bridal makeup artist. Although praised for his dexterity, Hoang still did not feel “happy with the job”. Realizing that his son was not suited for that profession, his father sent him to learn wood carving from a skilled master in the area. In the early days, Hoang had to learn how to hold the chisel, maintain a steady rhythm, and understand the wood grain... Step by step, he found peace watching dragon and phoenix figures gradually emerge from the wooden panels.
Three years later, his teacher entrusted him with work on ruong houses, carving altarpieces, tables, and chairs... When being proficient in the craft, in 2019, Hoang opened his own small workshop and received his first order, an ancestral tablet worth 5 million VND. That was the first product he put his whole heart into, working continuously for many days to ensure every carved line was perfectly even and refined. When the customer praised him, Hoang knew he had found a suitable job that made him want to stick with it in long-term.
The craft of carving ancestral tablets leaves no room for haste. The craftsman must understand each type of wood, select the firm core with few knots, then sketch a draft and establish the composition. Every chisel stroke progresses from rough to fine, from large surfaces to small details, all requiring absolute concentration. In this craft, just one wrong chisel cut can ruin the entire wooden panel. Every detail carries the faith of the worshipper.
Hoang puts a lot of passion and effort into every finished product. Some ancestral tablets take him over 10 days, others more than a month. For Hoang, carving is also a way to practice patience, and maintain inner peace amidst the fluctuations of life.
Continuing the old tradition
Once he mastered the carving technique, Hoang dedicated time to learning the art of lacquering and gilding, a delicate stage that helps the products achieve the perfection. He recounted that the artisan must choose good quality gold leaves and mix the red lacquer base correctly so that the gold color will shine brightly. Even a slight breeze can make the gold leave fly away, so the work must be done in an absolutely still environment. “Gilding is the hardest part, one small mistake can ruin the whole process,” Hoang said, then checking the newly finished carvings.
This seemingly simple craft is actually a sequence of steps that require absolute meticulousness. From selecting the wood, the craftsman must find the core of an old jackfruit tree, with fine grain and few knots, then sketch a draft, apply the pattern, and chisel from rough to fine. When the dragon and phoenix shapes begin to emerge on the wood surface, the craftsman uses fine sandpaper to smooth every line, allowing the wood to show its natural color. For products that are not lacquered or gilded, the wood surface must be bright and even.
To complete his work, Hoang also learned to carve Han (Sino) characters to give the products more meaning. Hoang’s products can now be found in many communal halls, pagodas, and family worship halls in the city. Customers place orders because they trust his beautiful and thorough products. The price of each ancestral tablet ranges from a few million to tens of millions of VND, depending on size and sophistication. He shared that this craft does not make one get rich easily, but its most valuable thing is the feeling of contentment when seeing the products cherished in a sacred worship space.
In the small workshop, a few ancestral tablets are gilded with gold leaves, while new wooden panels are being sketched. Placing his hands on a freshly completed ancestral tablet, Hoang shared: “Each ancestral tablet is a soul. Damaging it is a fault against the ancestors.” This is the principle Hoang always upholds in his work.
Not stopping there, Hoang is nurturing the idea of creating a nine-dragon ancestral tablet, a piece that he calls “the challenge of his life”. He plans to carve nine dragons winding around the frame, some hidden, some visible, each in a different posture. For him, this is a challenge to test his skills, and a tribute to the craft his father guided him toward from a young age.
Hoang’s father is Tran Phuoc, an artisan has over 30 years of experience in mother-of-pearl inlay. The father and son share a passion for preserving traditional beauty. In the small workshop, the two often sit together, talking about wood, gold, and the light on each product. They are jointly planning to create a piece combining openwork carving and mother-of-pearl inlay, both to test their abilities and to connect the two generations.
“My father taught me that crafting worship items is a work of the heart. One must keep a pure heart to preserve the craft,” Hoang said, then picking up his chisel and continuing the unfinished work...