Vang son ky my (Golden beauty)

HNN.VN - “Vang son ky my – the essence of Vietnamese craftsmanship” is something that photographer Nguyen Phong is particularly passionate about as he introduced to Thua Thien Hue Weekly a series of photos showcasing “the golden hands” of artisans perfecting the process of applying gold leaf and lacquer to the columns of Thai Hoa Palace.

Thai Hoa Palace was first constructed in 1805 during the reign of Emperor Gia Long. However, its current architecture was planned and reconstructed in 1833 by Emperor Minh Mang. The entire framework of the Palace is made of ironwood. Out of the 88 columns of the Palace, 66 are adorned with red lacquer and drawn with gold-gilded dragons wrapped around them. In April, 2022, Thai Hoa Palace was renovated by Hue Monuments of Conservation Center with a total expense of 128 billion VND from the state budget. The work is expected to be completed in August, 2025, but the construction team is striving to finish before the date.

The columns in Thai Hoa Palace undergo various handling processes, including primer application, fine sanding, base coating, hand painting, and gold gilding, etc. Historical photographic sources have not provided much information about the gold gilding craft implemented in significant works like Thai Hoa Palace. This requires artisans to possess exceptional skills. In the past, this work was carried out by artisans from the North. However, Hue now has its heirs. “Particularly in the technique known as “rây mây” – the final step in the process of gold gilding; artisan Ngo Dinh Trong is skillful enough to handle it. This is also an ideal condition for artisan Dinh Trong to keep on training and bequeathing this craft to other artisans”, introduced Mr. Phong.

Thua Thien Hue Weekly would like to introduce it to readers!