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A bronze statue of Buddha, a product of Bang Chau village. |
Because of its particular natural and social characteristics, Dap Da was the ideal place to develop agriculture and craft villages such as weaving in Nam Phuong Danh village, forging in Tay Phuong Danh, bronze casting in Bang Chau pottery in Nhan Phap and trading services in Dong Phuong Danh.
Visitors to Dap Da can tour the ancient craft villages, among them the traditional bronze casting village, Bang Chau. Like in other traditional bronze casting villages, Bang Chau bronze products go through many steps before they are finished including preparing the materials, making the moulds, building the foundry and, finally, casting the molten metal. In addition to bronze, the metalsmiths also make aluminum and pig-iron products.
The original founder of bronze casting in Bang Chau is Duong Khong Lo, who was also a doctor. Each year, on the 17th day of the third lunar month, local people make ritual offerings to their ancestors and those who contributed to the development of their village.
The ancestors’ death anniversary has become a traditional festival in Bang Chau. It is a lively event closely associated with the village's development and it leads the people to their roots, which create a strong attachment among the community. Wherever they go, the people of Bang Chau remember and celebrate their traditional festival.
Village elders say that to produce one tonne of finished bronze requires between five and six tonnes of clay for the mould. The skills for bronze casting are usually passed down through the generations of a family from father to son.
The father or grandfather who understands all the steps in bronze casting is the master and his descendants are the assistants.
In the past, bronze casting families often gathered into groups that produced common items such as trays, pots, pans and lamps. To begin with, their products were rather primitive and the mould making process took a lot of time and effort but the local mould makers gradually improved their techniques and learnt from the experiences of other villages how to make more sophisticated and diversified products.
During the war against the French, several bronze casters in the village made weapons to fight the enemy such as grenade cases and metal spikes. In 1957, local bronze makers cast a two-metre tall, 750kg statue of the Buddha for Long Khanh pagoda in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province. The bronze casters of Bang Chau also created many other statues that appear all over the country, particularly in the South.
After 1975, a bronze casting co-operative was established in Bang Chau that used advanced technology for production. During this period, the village was very busy making and selling many well-known kinds of bronze products such as the pairs of cranes now displayed at the Quang Trung Museum in Tay Son district, Binh Dinh province. In 1986, the people of Bang Chau cast a two- metre tall, 750kg statue of President Ho Chi Minh to mark the 10th anniversary of national reunification, which is now in the traditional house in An Nhon district. The local artisans have cast many bronze items since then and today, there are about 30 bronze casting establishments in Bang Chau, each with around 15 mould makers.
As time has passed, bronze casting in Bang Chau has not fallen into oblivion and favourable conditions have been created to promote further development. The unique characteristics of this traditional village have been preserved by the local residents, who also make an income from their craft which has improved their lives and local culture.
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