"Time Mask" has a kind face
Mr. Phong started painting 40 years ago, when he made lion heads and faces of the local god. Thanks to his skillful craftsmanship and "spiritual" drawings, every time the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, customers in Quang Nam province compete to order his paintings. More than 10 years ago, he started painting masks, taking on more students to help him and teaching them how to papercraft, hold a brush, etc.
As promised, I went to 14 Tran Phu, Hoi An. He started the conversation: "From a toy mask, I turned it into a Vietnamese art mask, adding value. Someone asked me, why don't you cut out the eyes of the mask? I draw the eyes, but if you cut out the eyes of the mask, you will wear it... like a toy. When you get tired of playing with it, you will throw it away. But you hang the art mask as a souvenir. Each mask that the buyer brings home is like a blessing from the "time mask". That's probably why, even though it costs 300,000 VND/piece, customers are still willing to buy it.
Author (left) and artisan Bui Quy Phong. PHOTO: LE KIM DUNG
Mask of time - honoring traditional Vietnamese cultural values. PHOTO: LE KIM DUNG
Artisan Bui Quy Phong and his colleagues were certified by the Vietnam Record Organization for the record - The largest Tuong mask made of Do paper in Vietnam. PHOTO: LE KIM DUNG
"This mask doesn't make much profit. But why do I still maintain it? Because it is Vietnamese culture. It is painted in the style of Vietnamese culture and honors our ancestors. Painting Vietnamese masks only uses 5 colors: red, white, black, yellow (the color of the temple) and green. The art mask conveys good things. Evil happens a lot in real life. When you enter my space, please come to good things," Mr. Phong passionately explained in his own way.
In 2023, the "Ancestors' Imprint" do paper mask with a height of 3.5 m and a width of 2.65 m made by Mr. Phong and his colleagues in coordination with VinWonders Nam Hoi An was awarded a record certificate by the Vietnam Record Organization for "The largest do paper mask in Vietnam".
Get motivated
And from drawing masks with good faces to doing good deeds, according to artist Bui Quy Phong, is a smooth combination and parallel. He follows the style of drawing good masks and it makes his soul peaceful, inclined to good, leisurely stepping out into the community to do good deeds.
From 1980 to the early 1990s, he built a shelter for more than 20 children with special circumstances such as being abandoned, deaf and mute, mildly mentally ill or having parents in prison... He provided them with food and accommodation, taught them skills with a salary... If any child grows up and wants to leave the "shelter", he will help them open a facility to make lion heads and masks and introduce them to 3 business partners to "connect" and buy the products. Thanks to their solid profession, many children have built stable lives and started families...
Tourists experience mask painting. PHOTO: LE KIM DUNG
"At first, I had no intention. When the epidemic broke out in 2019, all life activities came to a standstill. I was impatient. When people are in trouble and suffering, it is not right for me to stand aside and be indifferent. In Hoi An alone, I can call on everyone to join hands. So I posted the first Facebook post...", Mr. Phong shared. From then on, the golden hearts were awakened. Children of Hoi An both at home and abroad responded and sent their support. On average, every day he transported about 5 tons of rice to give to people in epidemic areas. When he stopped, there were still people who contacted him wanting to send a few thousand USD, but he refused. Some people begged him to keep it and support people when there was a chance, but he promised that when he posted on Facebook to call for donations, he would send...
"I don't touch money. Someone sent money to buy a ton of rice, I just acted as a rice agent for them to transfer the money. At nearly 70 years old, I'm getting more and more involved in charity work. Sometimes when I'm doing a charity program and I'm short of money, I suddenly wonder whether I should call for help or not. I think if anyone cares about the poor, come to me and share with me. I don't call for donations of money or goods. If I'm not lucky enough, I'll do it myself, using my own money. Actually, it also makes it difficult for me. That is, I want to do it properly and well, but my strength is not there yet. However, sometimes hearing my students say it gives me more motivation: "Every time you come back from a charity program, I see your face turn red. Customers come to buy my products continuously, continuously. After each program, I have money to make ends meet. Like recently, there was a group that just came to see me and my students draw and they sent 5 million VND, saying it was to help me do charity work. Every time we took art photos, customers left 1.5 million VND. Every month, I could earn 9 million VND after 5 programs. Having these sources of income is also a big help," he confided.
Charitable activities
On the first day of the Lunar New Year 2023, he used his own money to give poor people in Hoi An a total of 5.8 tons of rice and 580 bottles of fish sauce. Next, he went to the Quang Nam Social Protection Center to organize an art program and raised 27 million VND; went to the mountainous district of Tay Giang, to Tr'hy commune to help people with 90 million VND with his own money. Or he organized a Spring Festival in Hoi An from the first to the 11th day of the lunar calendar with bingo, folk games... with the support of a number of singers. The money collected was shared with the community. He does not have any funds. "There are days when I receive many messages asking for support. If I don't have money, I will wait a bit, if I have money, I will help immediately. There are people who need a bag of rice or call for help in the middle of the night because their child has to be hospitalized but do not have enough money... I immediately run away. There are many unfortunate cases, brother!", he said.
Once, a Vietnamese expatriate in the US said he would send 12,000 USD, asking him to help cook noodles and vermicelli on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month at two locations: Hoi An, his hometown, and Dien Ban, his husband's hometown. He hesitated, afraid that he would not be able to manage it. What if people got greedy and "snatched" some of the poor's food or did not ensure food safety and hygiene, who would be responsible? So he refused.
Mr. Phong and his friends are preparing to visit and give gifts to people in need. PHOTO: LE KIM DUNG
Artisan Bui Quy Phong with gifts to help people in need. PHOTO: LE KIM DUNG
Not doing charity work feels "empty" so he divides it up all year round with practical programs. The "Spring Extension" program goes to poor places, bringing love to people like in Tay Giang recently. There are new clothes, rice, MSG, money and many activities for children to play... Several tons of used clothes that can still be used are given to ethnic minorities... Next is the "In the Summer" program, parents bring old books after buying new books, notebooks, clothes (cleanly washed and ironed) for him to give to poor students. The "New School Year" program with new clothes, new books, new bicycles, gives 60 bicycles and money. Each school receives 6 bicycles and 6 sets of textbooks to give to poor students. The "Winter Coat" program, some friends in Hanoi send in new warm clothes, he goes back and forth to give them.
Connecting hearts
In Quang Nam province, there are many volunteer groups. For example, Dai Loc district has the groups Suong Nguyen (Green Valley charity group), Pham Linh; Dien Ban town has Le Hau; Duy Xuyen district has Pham Manh... Mr. Phong always wholeheartedly supports organizations, groups, and friends... Two beaded paintings made by some friends in Cam Nam, sold for 15 million VND/painting, the money will be sent to Mr. Phong for charity. On April 8, 2025, the group "Gieo duyen nguoi Hoi An" opened a refreshment shop at 437 Nguyen Tri Phuong, using the money for a charity fund because he did not call for donations. He also spent money to rent a small house there for volunteer activities. Anyone who gives rice or fish sauce can bring it themselves. Anyone in need can come and receive it, "take just enough to use". He assigned someone to look after it, and they can stay there without having to pay rent!
Painting "time masks" now has a successor. He only monitors and reminds. "Now I am at the age of "thất thập cổ lai hy" (ancient rarity). In the near future, I will reconsider my volunteer activities to suit my age. I don't want to tell you, but if you ask, I will tell you. I have had a lot of luck, now I do good deeds to repay life. It's that simple!", he confided.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghe-nhan-ve-mat-thien-lam-tu-thien-185250530164259523.htm
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