"Keeping the fire" of clay figurines in the new homeland

"Live healthy" with to he

Through the introduction of friends, in 1994, Mr. Vu Van Chien decided to bring his wife and children to An Khe to start a business. His family is currently residing in group 13, An Phu ward. Talking about his hometown, Mr. Chien proudly said: Xuan La is a to he craft village with a history of more than 400 years. Since childhood, he followed his father to make to he at festivals in the village and outside the commune. At that time, the leftover dough that his father left behind after completing the product became the raw material for the young Chien to explore and practice making to he.

With his intelligence and skillful hands, by the age of 12, Mr. Chien had mastered the skills of making clay figurines and was the only one in his family of 5 siblings to follow his father's traditional profession.

Mr. Vu Van Chien (group 13, An Phu ward, An Khe town) instructs his grandson how to make clay figurines. **Photo: NM**

“Making clay figurines is considered an art. In addition to being passionate about the job, the craftsman must have an aesthetic sense and creativity to create products with soul, harmonious layout, and eye-catching colors. Besides, regularly updating new designs is also a must to meet the needs of all customers. Only then can the traditional profession of our ancestors survive and develop,” Mr. Chien shared.

Having passed his seventies and suffered from diabetes for many years, Mr. Chien’s health is on the decline, his eyesight is dim, his legs are slow. However, his talented hands still knead dough, mix colors and create vivid and eye-catching animals, flowers and cartoon characters every day.

Mr. Vu Van Chien (group 13, An Phu ward) diligently maintains and preserves the craft of making clay figurines of Xuan La village in An Khe land. **Photo: Ngoc Minh**

The ingredients to make to he are glutinous rice flour mixed with rice flour, add a little water in the right proportion, mix well, and boil. Let the finished dough cool, cut into small pieces and dye with colors extracted from natural roots, fruits, and leaves.

For example, red color from gac fruit, gardenia; black color from eclipta prostrata, bamboo charcoal; yellow color from turmeric; green color from betel leaves, galangal leaves.

Before making the figurine, the artisan must rub his palms through a layer of beef fat cooked with beeswax to prevent sticking and to help the figurine become shiny and beautiful. “In recent years, the family has also used clay to make the figurine. Although clay has poor adhesion, the color is bright, durable, and does not get moldy over time; while rice flour is sticky and has good adhesion, when the product dries, it often cracks and breaks, and spoils quickly,” Mr. Chien explained.

Sitting and helping her husband make to he figurines, Mrs. Dang Thi Ich added: To he, also known as powdered figurines, is a type of folk toy for Vietnamese children and is considered an attractive work of art to everyone. She and her husband often make and sell to he figurines at markets, school gates and participate in to he figurine making performances at some kindergartens and primary schools in the town.

During holidays and Tet, my grandparents also sell to he at markets and festivals. Each to he costs 20,000 VND. “Thanks to the to he making profession, my husband and I have raised 5 children to adulthood. And most of all, we feel proud to have contributed to preserving the traditional profession of our ancestors right in our new homeland,” Mrs. Ich happily said.

Regarding the profession of making figurines, Mr. Chien said that although this profession does not bring wealth, thanks to it, the people of Xuan La have a more prosperous life. Many artisans and people of Xuan La village like him have spread to all provinces and cities in the country to make figurines and still stick with the profession.

Breaking village rules to preserve the profession

For hundreds of years, the villagers of Xuan La have only passed on the craft of making to he to their sons and daughters-in-law. However, to prevent his traditional craft from being lost, Mr. Chien decided to break with the village tradition and pass on the techniques of shaping and shaping to he, as well as the way of mixing powder and mixing colors, to his son-in-law Dang Dinh Dong, who currently lives in Long Thanh town, Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province, and is also a native of Xuan La village.

Like many children in Xuan La village, to he is a toy that has been associated with Dong's childhood. Previously, because he had no intention of following in his father's footsteps, he learned to make cotton blankets. After getting married, seeing his father-in-law create vivid and beautiful to he and the way he cherished his profession, it aroused in the son-in-law a love and desire to stick with to he.

Mr. Dang Dinh Dong (son-in-law of Mr. Vu Van Chien, Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province) takes pictures with tourists next to the to he product (photo provided by the character).

“At first, I struggled with the dough, it was very difficult to make a flower. My father both encouraged and taught me enthusiastically. After 3 months of persistent learning, I was able to skillfully make 12 zodiac animals and helped my father-in-law create and sell to he figurines at some cultural events and festivals in Gia Lai and Binh Dinh provinces,” said Mr. Dong.

In 2022, after mastering the craft, Mr. Dong went to Dong Nai to start a business and develop the traditional toy making craft until now. The tools he brought with him included bamboo sticks, a plastic comb, a beeswax box and a styrofoam box to display the finished toy products. Mr. Dong went to tourist attractions and school gates to promote, introduce and sell toy making products.

“I not only mold dragons, buffaloes, pigs, chickens, succulents or models of ethnic minorities such as stilt houses, communal houses, but also many cartoon characters such as: Doraemon, Pikachu, Tom cat, Jerry mouse, Mickey mouse, Donald duck, Buurin (pig knight), superheroes, long-haired Disney princesses, Elsa, Anna...

So both adults and children gathered around to watch, eagerly waiting for each product. At times like that, I was very happy and joyful!” - Mr. Dong emotionally confided.

His reputation spread far and wide, and several primary and preschool schools in Dong Nai province invited Mr. Dong to perform clay figurine making, creating opportunities for students to learn and become familiar with traditional toys, contributing to nurturing children's souls.

Besides, in order to spread the traditional profession, Mr. Dong also actively participates in cultural events, festivals, fairs, and exhibitions to promote the beauty of the craft of making clay figurines, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to experience and learn.

“I have shared my experience and skills in making clay figurines with many young people who want to learn and research. I hope to spread the knowledge and meet people who are destined to be involved in the profession,” Dong confided.

Mr. Vu Van Chien (right, in group 13, An Phu ward, An Khe town) introduces and promotes to he at Cau Hue Festival 2025. **Photo: Ngoc Minh**

Loving the toy and being taught the craft by her grandfather Vu Van Chien, young Pham Thi Huyen My (born 2002, group 13, An Phu ward, An Khe town) knows how to mold some animals and flowers. My excitedly said: “He taught me the basic steps to create a beautiful toy. First, knead the dough, pinch the dough, roll the dough in the palm of your hand. Next, roll the dough around a bamboo stick and then mold the large shapes first, adding small details and patterns later, from bottom to top. I am very happy to mold these cute and beautiful toy figures myself. When I introduce these products to my friends, everyone is delighted.”

Looking at the figurines made by his grandson, Mr. Chien excitedly said: “I believe that more and more young people and children will love figurines. As long as people continue to care, the figurine-making profession will have the opportunity to maintain and develop.”