Listen to the rocks tell stories.

Museum of Memory of Stone Sculpture Non Nuoc - Ngu Hanh Son. Photo: MC

More than just an architectural structure, this place also carries the mission of preserving the memories of labor and art of the Non Nuoc stone carving village - one of the oldest and most exquisite craft villages in Da Nang .

Stepping through the museum gates, a stream of memories slowly unfolds. In a space of over 700 square ^meters , hundreds of artifacts, from rudimentary hammers and chisels to exquisite sculptures, combined with valuable images and documents, vividly portray the economic and cultural life of the local people, while also recreating the more than 400-year journey of ups and downs of a traditional craft village.

The first exhibition takes viewers back to the dawn of the craft village, when the inhabitants of Quan Khai village began transforming rough stones into household items, laying the first bricks for the stone carving craft.

Here, visitors can witness the rudimentary process of creating initial stone products, admiring the traces of time still preserved on each tool and artifact. The chisels, hammers, and chisels—though simple—through the skillful hands of the craftsmen, have become useful household items, simultaneously paving the way for the art of stone carving. They are the pioneers who paved the way for the village's flourishing development.

Delving deeper, visitors enter a golden age where every line, every pattern, every stelae, every statue reflects the talent of master artisans. It bears the mark of names who dedicated their lives to stone: Nguyen Sang, Le Ben, Nguyen Long Buu, Nguyet Viet Minh, Nguyen Hung… These individuals, who weathered the ups and downs of life, left behind exquisite works of art rich in soul and spirit for posterity.

The final section takes visitors back to the primal essence of stone with its rough, solemn blocks, revealing many mysteries about the material that has nurtured generations of stonemasons here.

Each artifact in the museum is the culmination of the artist's mind, hands, and the gift of nature. They create a unique imprint of the Five Elements and the landscape, both distinctive and imbued with artistic value.

And behind it all is the figure of a quiet but persistent man – Mr. Le Van Hoa, the founder of the museum. For him, each artifact is a laborious search, sometimes a centuries-old antique, sometimes just a chisel worn down by tens of thousands of carvings. For more than ten years, he quietly collected and cherished them, then recreated in the museum a grand story about a craft village that "lives" with stone, enduring through time.

"As someone born and raised in the Ngu Hanh Son region, I only hope to preserve the quintessential values of Vietnam's most famous craft village, contributing to spreading Vietnamese culture and people to friends and tourists from all over the world," Mr. Hoa shared.

Every word he spoke clearly reflected his deep concern: how to ensure that future generations could still experience the essence of the craft village, and recognize the soul of Non Nuoc stone. And it was this very passion and love for his craft that propelled him through the arduous yet proud journey of preserving and passing on the values of the craft village.

If you have the chance to visit Da Nang, take some time to stop by the Non Nuoc Stone Sculpture Museum - Ngu Hanh Son. There, you will not only see the stones, but also hear the whispers of history and feel the breath of a traditional craft village that has existed for more than four centuries.

And when they leave, a lingering feeling will surely remain in their hearts: that on the land of Ngu Hanh Son, there are people who have dedicated their lives to preserving for future generations a heritage as valuable and enduring as the ancient mountain rocks themselves.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nghe-da-ke-chuyen-3303293.html