From a small wharf by Thanh Phuoc village I cross the confluence of Huong and Bo rivers in Thua Thien-Hue province towards Sinh village.
Ky Huu Phuoc is one of the finest woodcut print markers from Sinh village in Thua Thien- Hue province but he fears for the future of this traditional craft as craftsmen now prefer to use prints made from modern and artificial materials which can be sold for a cheaper price
From a small wharf by Thanh Phuoc village I cross the confluence of Huong and Bo rivers in Thua Thien-Hue province towards Sinh village. The sampan is loaded up with people, domestic fowl, motorbikes and bicycles., I stand beside a cage of chickens whose beaks poke out as if they want to start a conversation.
A woman in a conical hat looks at me curiously but in a friendly way; perhaps she knows I’m not a local villager. I smile by way of saying hello. On the banks of the river I can see a modest temple and a church. A group of children with bare feet plays under the shade of the bamboo trees. A herd of water buffalos splash through a swamp to cool down on this hot morning.
Their black skin glistens in the sun while white ducks scramble around to avoid getting trampled. A lane that runs alongside Huong river leads to Lai An temple. This is where I am told wrestling competitions are held annually right after Tet holiday. People from all around come to watch and cheer on the competitors grappling each other for dear life but today it is quiet and still.
Just as I am about to leave the temple, the rain suddenly starts to pour down. Grabbing shelter under the gateway, I watch as the raindrops paint long strokes on the ragged sampans that sit on the river. As the rain dies down, I set off in search of a well known local craftsman, Ky Huu Phuoc.
The houses have no numbers and the lanes have no names. Soon I am lost and completely confused. Fortunately, I get some clear directions from a young lady, who is washing her clothes in the river. After parking the motorbike under the vine-covered trellis in front of Phuoc’s house, I am greeted warmly by his wife and ushered inside.
Phuoc is one of the finest woodcut print artists around. While we watch his 10-year old grandson put the finishing touches to his own painting, Phuoc tells me that his family has made woodcut prints for nine generations. Even as a child he had already taken it up as a hobby.
Commonly woodcut prints from Sinh village are worship pictures which are burnt on a religious occasion. The colourful prints always have a special meaning and bring a bright and cozy atmosphere to people’s homes at Tet. Like Dong Ho and Hang Trong paintings in the North of Vietnam, traditionally Sinh woodcut prints are made with natural paints made from leaves or tress and giay do (poonah paper).
However now you can find Sinh woodcut prints made with artificial paints and paper. Buyers don’t care as long as the price is lower and as the paintings are burnt anyway there is little sentimental attachment involved. At present, more than 30 households in the village develop this craft using industrialised methods, so although the craft exists it’s no longer like it used to be.
More tourists might help craftsmen like Phuoc preserve this traditional craft, but only the odd tour group visits the village each year, even though it is only 20 minutes from the centre of Hue. Phuoc is willing to put in the effort to produce natural colours for genuine Sinh woodcut prints but he needs customers.
The village could also attract tourists to see the wrestling festivals. Nearby Bao Vinh, where you can find a monument dedicated to the Vietnamese patriot Nguyen Chi Dieu, and Thanh Tien craft village could also help coax tourists into the area. By putting Sinh village on the tourist map, perhaps the traditional craft of making woodcut prints can be preserved and developed.
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