Then, the artisans brought the craft back to their village, forming the Thach Xa bamboo dragonfly village and helping this unique local delicacy reach the international market.

Located about 25km from the center of Hanoi , Thach Xa bamboo dragonfly village appears peaceful. In the air, faintly scented with dried bamboo, we visited the workshop of artisan Nguyen Van Tai, who has been dedicated to the craft for nearly three decades. Sitting at a small wooden table with a teapot, he quietly and meticulously carved and polished each small detail, assembling the dragonfly wings to create a complete shape. He passionately breathes life into each bamboo dragonfly.

Artisan Nguyen Van Tai meticulously crafts bamboo dragonflies. (Photo provided by the subject)

Taking a sip of green tea, Mr. Tai recounted: Nearly 30 years ago, he worked as a photographer around Tay Phuong Pagoda. To make the photos more lively, he handcrafted a few bamboo dragonflies as props. Unexpectedly, these small items delighted his customers, who asked to buy them as gifts. Seeing the economic potential from this customer hobby, he began to think about producing the products in a more systematic way. Then, Mr. Tai began to experiment with making bamboo dragonflies. Transforming a lifeless bamboo stick into a dragonfly that can "fly" and "land" steadily requires 12 meticulous manual steps. The material is selected from young bamboo, which has the right flexibility and durability. After being cut, the bamboo is cleaned, dried until it turns an ivory white color. From there, the craftsman splits and shapes it into individual details such as the body and wings.

The most crucial step is balancing the bamboo dragonfly, so the constituent parts, such as the two wings, must be precisely aligned so that the weight is concentrated at the front, at the head, helping to maintain the entire center of gravity of the product. The beak is bent using heat before the remaining parts are assembled. "Every step must be meticulous and precise; even a slight misalignment will cause the dragonfly to lose its balance, forcing us to disassemble and reassemble it from scratch," Mr. Nguyen Van Tai shared.

Once he mastered the craft, Mr. Tai opened the Tai Tan bamboo dragonfly workshop. He started alone, then gradually his relatives and neighbors learned and joined him. Today, more than 20 households in the village are involved in the craft. These bamboo dragonflies not only provide a stable income for the villagers but also give the area the endearing name "bamboo dragonfly village." Currently, his workshop produces hundreds of products daily, from small items to custom-made decorative designs. Customers can choose according to their personal preferences, with retail prices ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 VND per dragonfly, depending on size. Customers are diverse, ranging from traders and wholesale markets to domestic and international tourists. “Visiting the village, seeing the artisans create these bamboo dragonflies firsthand, and witnessing how delicately they balance in their hands, was fascinating. The eye-catching patterns and colors also inspired me to buy some as gifts for my colleagues,” said Ms. Nguyen Le Hoang An (born in 1985, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City).

Not only consumed domestically, Thach Xa bamboo dragonflies have now spread beyond the village boundaries, reaching foreign markets such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea through handicraft and gift companies. These tiny bamboo dragonflies accompany tourists on their travels, carrying with them stories of the skill and sophistication of Hanoi people in handcrafted gifts.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/chap-canh-chuon-chuon-tre-bay-xa-1035495