The clams and snails lying deep under the sea, seemingly lifeless, but through the skillful hands of the craftsmen, take on a completely new appearance - sparkling, lively and full of art. Each product not only contains the delicacy of the craftsman's hands, but also a story, about the hard-working life of the coastal people.
The decline of the shellfish craft
The craft of making shells and snails in Vung Tau has been around for nearly four decades. During its peak, this craft created a community of several dozen households that specialized in collecting raw materials such as shells, producing, processing and wholesaling them to ocean-going ships for consumption abroad. However, changes in the tourism market, along with the rapid urbanization process, have caused the craft of making shells and snails in Vung Tau to gradually fade away.
In 2006, when the old Ba Ria - Vung Tau province decided to clear the Bai Truoc area for urban renovation, many establishments had to relocate, production activities were interrupted. Many artisans quit their jobs or moved to other fields. Currently, there is only one establishment operating regularly, along with about 10 households accepting home processing in Vung Tau ward.
One of the establishments that has been persistently preserving and sticking with the profession for the longest time is Thanh Them shellfish handicraft establishment (51 Biz Phan Chu Trinh, Vung Tau ward) owned by Mr. Nguyen Quang Hai. Now, Mr. Hai's son, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vu, has taken over. After graduating from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Mr. Vu had many different jobs, but then his parents' love for the traditional shellfish handicraft profession brought him back. In 2006, he decided to return to Vung Tau, continuing the career journey that his family had built for more than 40 years.
Mr. Vu shared that the shellfish making profession not only creates a stable source of income but also helps us take advantage of available raw materials from the sea, turning seemingly discarded objects into valuable products. “We are very happy to create a line of tourism products typical of the place where I and the craftsmen were born and raised,” he said.
To create a complete work from shellfish, the craftsman must carry out a series of meticulous steps such as choosing materials with suitable shapes and colors, cleaning, polishing, hand-processing, and then carving or drawing patterns. This is a job that requires not only the patience, meticulousness, and dexterity of each artisan, but also an artistic eye and a rich imagination.
According to artisan Diep Thi Thuy Phuong - one of the craftsmen who has been working at Thanh Them for nearly 20 years, to be able to "live" with the profession, the most important thing is passion. She learned this craft of making shellfish and shells when she was only 15 years old from the previous artisans and each finished product that is loved by customers is always the motivation for her to continue creating.
Traditional products such as sailboat models, lighthouses, dolphin statues, or mosaics made from shimmering mother-of-pearl pieces... are still loved by many tourists when traveling to Vung Tau beach. However, today's market has changed. Tourists prefer compact, convenient gifts that are sophisticated but still imbued with the spirit of the sea. Therefore, Thanh Them facility has flexibly changed direction, developing many small accessory models or mini-sized products suitable for modern trends.
Not only attracting local people, products made from seashells and snails also leave a strong impression on tourists from near and far. Mr. Nguyen Phan Dinh Khoi - a tourist from Ca Mau, shared: "Every time I travel to Vung Tau, I always look to buy products made from seashells and snails as gifts for my relatives. I never thought that from these seemingly lifeless and unnecessary seashells and snails, such lovely and funny boats, animals and decorative objects could be created. Each small gift seems to retain the flavor of the sea."
Preserving the profession - preserving the cultural identity of the sea
Every year, Thanh Them facility produces thousands of products with prices ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dong, depending on the sophistication and size. The facility's products have gone beyond local boundaries. Currently, many large souvenir shops in provinces and cities such as Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Phu Quoc, Hanoi, etc. have imported goods from Thanh Them facility for sale. Many overseas Vietnamese also buy them as gifts for relatives living abroad.
The shellfish making profession not only creates a stable source of income for the workers here, but also symbolizes the ingenuity and creativity of the coastal people. Each shell layer, each piece of shell through the hands of the artisans has become a work of art, telling the story of the waves, the wind and the love of labor of the children of the sea.
To recognize that traditional value, on September 7, 2018, the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province issued Decision No. 2503/QD-UBND, recognizing the craft of shellfish as a "Traditional Craft" of the locality. This is an affirmation of the cultural and economic significance of the craft, and at the same time opens up opportunities for production households to access policies to support the development of rural industries according to Decree No. 52/2018/ND-CP of the Government. Thanks to that, shellfish craft production facilities have been supported with machinery to make products, have access to preferential loans, artisans have been supported with vocational training, product promotion and participation in craft village fairs.
However, the profession also faces many difficulties such as: a shortage of young workers with passion for the profession, a competitive market with many cheap industrial products, and the gradual decline of traditional crafts.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vu, each art product from seashells and snail shells is a work of art, so it requires ideas and constant creativity. With the art painting line, choosing the right materials in color, size and shape is the deciding factor in the success of each work.
"Before being ground and polished, the shells of seashells and snails must be soaked to remove the odor. Then, the craftsman saws, peels, and shapes the product. The shaped product is polished and painted again four days later. After three coats of paint, the shells and snails are polished, cut, peeled, and adjusted to match the drawing. It takes a lot of effort to create a work of art. In order for the profession to continue, shellfish and snail handicraft establishments like ours really need support from local authorities in terms of capital and machinery; support for tourism promotion programs, as well as the attention of tourists," said Mr. Vu.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/ben-bi-thoi-hon-vao-so-oc-20251207101051933.htm
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