The story of the seven elderly men who "breathed life" into the ancient roofs of Hoi An.

In Nam Dieu pottery village (Hoi An Tay ward, Da Nang city), only seven elderly craftsmen remain, working day and night to preserve the traditional craft of making yin-yang roof tiles.

Yin-yang roof tiles are not just building materials; they are the soul of Hoi An ancient town. Since the formation of the Faifo trading port, tiles from the Nam Dieu pottery village (Thanh Ha) have been present, shielding generations from the sun and rain.

The yin-yang tiled roof of the Japanese Bridge, a symbol of Hoi An 's World Heritage site, is where heads of state are welcomed.

However, after enduring historical ups and downs, the once bustling craft village now has only one remaining traditional pottery workshop. What saddens and impresses visitors is that this unique pottery workshop has only seven employees. Of these, the youngest is nearly 70, while the oldest is over 75.

The work here is clearly divided: Men handle the heavy tasks such as kneading clay, carrying loads, and firing in the kiln; the more skillful women take care of printing tiles and drying them.

Creating curved shapes for roof tiles.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xe (over 75 years old) shared a work schedule that would impress many young people: "I've been doing this job since I was 10 years old, so it's been 65 years now. On days when I'm feeling well, I wake up at 3 a.m. and work until 10 a.m. Each day I print about 500-600 roof tiles."

The income for a hard day's work only ranges from 150,000 to 200,000 dong. But for these elderly people, it's not just a means of livelihood, but also a habit, a joy of being connected to the land and the profession.

A space dedicated to women who print roof tiles.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Xuyet, owner of the Nam Dieu tile production facility, expressed his concern: "This craft can only be done for six months during the dry season; during the rainy season, it's impossible. We have to work quickly to stockpile, mainly to supply the restoration of damaged historical sites and old houses."

The steps involved in making yin-yang roof tiles.

The shrinking market, low income, and arduous work have discouraged the younger generation in the village from continuing the tradition. The image of elderly craftsmen, over 70 years old, still struggling to lift stacks of tiles weighing nearly 40kg, or their bare feet treading the earth for the past 60 years, is both beautiful and evokes anxiety: When the elders retire, who will continue to lay the yin-yang tile roofs for Hoi An?