Thuy Nguyen Cast Iron Foundry

The My Dong casting village in Thuy Nguyen, Hai Phong, has a centuries-old tradition. In the past, the village's main products were plow blades and other household items, created by blowing air into furnaces and pushing them by hand in households. In 1938, a foreign ship docked at Hai Phong port and its stern balancing mechanism, called the "counterweight turtle," weighing about 1 ton, was damaged. Upon receiving this information, driven by passion and years of experience, the village's furnace owner requested a sample to try casting. Eight furnaces in the village were brought together, burning continuously. Under the skilled hands of the craftsmen and with the concerted efforts of the workers, the "counterweight turtle" materialized, astonishing both the owner and the customer. From then on, the My Dong casting craft became renowned far and wide.

The product is meticulously crafted.

Join Vietnam.vn in experiencing the art of cast iron casting through the photo series "Cast Iron Casting" by author HoangHai, documenting the activities of My Dong Cast Iron Village (Thuy Nguyen District, Hai Phong City), a craft that has existed for hundreds of years. Through many ups and downs, the village has continued to develop, providing employment for thousands of workers and creating diverse products, from decorative items to household goods such as grills and cast iron pans. Despite the arduous work, the workers here always greet visitors with optimistic smiles, demonstrating their deep love and commitment to their craft. This photo series was submitted by the author to the "Happy Vietnam" Photo and Video Contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications .

Young craftsman.

Create a mold.

The products of My Dong casting village are diverse, serving all sectors of industry, agriculture, and civil use.

Put the cast iron into the oven.

Newly released product.

Cast iron into mold.

Results.

The products of My Dong casting village are diverse, serving all sectors of industry, agriculture, and civil use.

With a traditional casting craft spanning nearly three centuries, My Dong has gradually risen to become a leading example in Thuy Nguyen district in economic development and the establishment of traditional craft villages. Building upon the traditional casting skills of their ancestors, the people of My Dong today have inherited and innovated, transforming metal casting into a major economic sector of the locality. Currently, the commune has nearly 100 households engaged in cast iron casting, 15 households in copper casting, and dozens of workshops providing mechanical, forging, and related services. Products from My Dong village are present in markets both domestically and internationally. Decorative items such as cast iron products, grills, gas covers, and lamp posts are favored by construction projects and are increasingly exported to other countries. Many high-quality cast and mechanical products are supplied to the shipbuilding, motorcycle assembly, and precision engineering industries, including ship propellers, bearings, brake drums, electric motor housings, pumps, sewing machine bases, and motorcycle frames. We are truly proud of the traditional casting craft in our beloved My Dong homeland. In 2024, the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest continued to be organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists on the website.   https://happy.vietnam.vn is open to all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above. The competition aims to honor individuals and groups with positive informational products that make practical contributions to promoting a beautiful image of Vietnam to the world. Through this, it helps people at home, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends access authentic images of Vietnam, its people, its achievements in ensuring human rights, and working towards a happy Vietnam. Each competition category (photos and videos) has the following prizes and prize values: – 1 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND – 2 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND – 3 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND – 10 Consolation Prizes: 5,000,000 VND – 1 Most Popular Entry: 5,000,000 VND. Winning entries will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Award Ceremony and Certificate Presentation, broadcast live on Vietnam Television. Vietnam.vn