Dragon boat sculpture

Bat Nha boat or boat car is the means of transport used to carry the coffin of the deceased to the final resting place. In Cao Dai religion, Bat Nha boat has its own design, with the shape of a golden dragon, dragon head, dragon tail, in the middle of the dragon body is built a golden house to place the coffin.

Mr. Khoan has just finished assembling the dragon head parts.

The design and shape of the boat are completely handmade. Currently, the only place licensed to operate and design Bat Nha boats is the Bat Nha Boat Board of the Cao Dai Holy See of Tay Ninh .

According to Mr. Le Van Ngan - Deputy Permanent Manager of the Boat House Board, in the past, the boats were mainly pushed by foot. But in recent years, to facilitate travel, the boats were designed to be driven by a motor. Most of them are homemade vehicles with the driver sitting behind the dragon's head, with a windshield in front. Recently, the transportation industry has not allowed homemade vehicles to circulate on the road because they do not ensure safety. The vehicle must have a drawing, with a suitable dragon body design installed on a small truck.

When changing the vehicle, the localities and religious groups asked the Boat House Committee to design the vehicle and, more importantly, create a golden dragon according to the model of the Cao Dai boat for a long time.

Dragon head after completion.

The dragon on the boat is made from jackfruit wood. To have the wood parts compatible with each part of the dragon such as head, tail, nose, ears... the craftsman must be skillful in cutting wood. Mr. Nguyen Van Khoan (Long Thanh Bac ward, Hoa Thanh town) has 20 years of experience in carving dragons for boats. Mr. Khoan said that in the past, he pushed the boat with everyone in the Committee, then saw the seniors carving dragons, so he was curious to see how it was done, gradually he was drawn in, "then I don't remember when I started doing it".

From a large block of jackfruit wood, Mr. Khoan had to chisel it into the shape of a dragon's head. "The hardest part was at first, the wood was still a big piece. I had to chisel it out. In the past, there weren't many machines in Ban Nha Thuyen, and it was difficult to transport it to the sawmill, so I had to be patient and chisel it slowly. A few years later, Ban Nha Thuyen had a chainsaw, so sawing it out became much more convenient," Mr. Khoan shared.

From someone who had never attended any sculpture or carpentry school before, but with perseverance and aesthetic sense, Mr. Khoan gradually got used to his new job: carving wooden dragons.

Meticulous, not hasty, but each chisel stroke of Mr. Khoan is always decisive and neat. Through Mr. Khoan's hands and artistic vision, each part of the dragon's head gradually appears: the harmonious pair of horns, the high forehead attached to the large nose below, the powerful eyes, the lively, wavy tongue... Even the dragon's fins are meticulously cared for in every little detail.

The Bat Nha boat is now designed on a truck to ensure traffic safety.

“In the past, there were big jackfruit trees, the wood was cut into a single block, but now there are no big trees anymore, we have to choose wood to make different parts. The big wood is used to make the head, the tail, the smaller wood is used to make the forehead, nose, teeth, ears, horns… then we assemble them. Trees are hard to find now, but there is still demand, we have to think of a way to make them for the parishes,” Mr. Khoan said.

After being sculpted, the dragon will be sun-dried, creating a shrinkage for the wooden body. Then, from the yellow wooden body with joints, through the artist's paint layer, each line, each shade of majesty and bravery of the mascot leading the four sacred animals is more clearly shown. This is the pure white teeth, the pair of red and white horns, the dragon body with two main colors of red, white and yellow...

“In addition to the wooden parts, the fins, eyelids, etc. are cut from plastic pieces and then painted, creating a soft, light feeling instead of being made from wood. Or the dragon’s beard will be attached after completion with two springs and a red light on top. We just follow the model that our ancestors made in the past,” Mr. Khoan said.

The “dragon body” part - where the coffin is placed - is also carved and painted by carpenters and painters with symbols of the celestial eye, dragon pillars, phoenixes, etc. in bright colors, as if bringing the deceased to a peaceful and gentle spiritual world .

“Right now, in the Boat House Committee, I am the only one who sculpts dragons. I also hope that someone who really likes to do volunteer work and has talent will come here, and I will guide them to maintain this work of the Committee. No one has done it yet, so I am worried, but this is a talent, a hobby, so you have to be persistent and diligent,” Mr. Khoan shared.

Ngoc Dieu

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