Moc Thon Wood Tales was founded to allow visitors, particularly foreigners, to experience a Vietnamese craft firsthand.
“Vietnamese woodcarving is a craft recognized around the world. We felt we should do something to help young Vietnamese and foreign visitors learn about the craft by allowing them to create their own objects from a wooden blank. The blanks come in various shapes – squares and circles, as well as buffaloes, cats, fish, and other images closely associated with Vietnamese life,” said COO Bui Nguyen Tu Anh.
Moc Thon Wood Tales provides the wooden blanks and storytellers who guide participants through the woodcarving experience.
Tu Anh told VOV that his team of storytellers talks participants through the experience, sharing stories about the blanks and famous woodcarving villages and instructions on how to use the awls and chisels and other tools.
“The visitors get to choose a blank and a pattern and decide what they want to carve. They sketch their idea on the wood with a pencil, then use a wooden mallet to strike the chisel. Chisels come in different shapes – V-shaped, U-shaped, straight, and round. Combining these shapes with different angles and varying the force of each strike, participants can create a variety of patterns and textures on the wood. Then they use sandpaper to smooth the surface before painting it,” said Tu Anh.
Workshop participants also explore the relationship between people, nature, and traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship.
“We introduce visitors to Vietnam’s traditional craft villages. When they encounter a new culture, foreigners find inspiration to complete their own wood carving,” storyteller Kim Ngan said.
Moc Thon Wood Tales wants to encourage people to connect with one another, not just carve objects out of wood, she noted. “We talk with the participants and try to inspire them. We recently welcomed a group from Australia. Each person took a different approach and created a piece that expressed their individual personality.”
Moc Thon Wood Tales is a relaxing space where participants can slow down and focus on simple things. It provides an unscripted experience in which a visitor can connect with Vietnamese culture through their senses and emotions, and gain a deeper appreciation of the patience and hard work of Vietnamese craftspeople.
“Foreign visitors can carve a memory of their time in Vietnam. For example, one engineer who worked in Vietnam for three months chose a square blank out of which to carve an image of Ninh Binh province,” founder Tu Anh elaborated.
There’s no pressure to create a piece, nor do visitors need to be particularly skilled or have any previous experience. What matters is the process of exploring, experimenting, being patient, and enjoying the satisfaction of completing your own work.
When they leave Moc Thon Wood Tales, each participant takes home a piece they have made themselves. Whether it’s a simple carving done just for fun or a meticulous gift made for a loved one, its principal value lies in the experience of creating it.
