In June 2024, the World Publishing House published the book "The Quintessence of Ninh Binh Stone Architecture" with 236 pages, large size 19x26.5 cm, hardcover, printed in color on custse paper by 2 authors: La Dang Bat and Luong Van Quang, natives of Ninh Binh.
The book consists of 3 main parts and one part (part 4) which is an "appendix", in addition to containing many illustrations for each article.
In the "Preface", author La Dang Bat wrote: "In this book, we only mention stone house architecture. Stone houses here are not only houses, but also communal houses, temples, pagodas, and churches made of stone. No province in our country has stone house architecture like that...
Writing about stone houses not only helps readers understand stone architecture and stone carving art, but also understand more about national history, national literature, national beliefs, national culture and the intelligence of Vietnamese people past and present."
The book is an elaborate and meticulous study of 18 stone architectural works in Ninh Binh with specific measurements, realistic descriptions and also the method of mining and handcrafting stone over 400 years ago, very sophisticated and unique, making us admire today.
Writing about Duy Son stone temple, the two authors wrote: "The two dragons are carved fat, strong, with all parts, with manes and beards growing out of the stone, made of small, sharp, very miraculous stone. The carving technique is clear, elaborate, trimmed, meticulous, sophisticated, the lines are very elegant, flexible and lively like wood carving. This is the accumulation of the talent and merit of the ancients - an incarnation of nature in the cultural living environment of humans".
The highlight of the book is two articles about Phat Diem Stone Cathedral and the unique and largest stone building in Vietnam, two masterpieces of stone art that highlight the intelligence, talent, and sophistication of the Vietnamese people. Under their talented hands, the stone becomes extraordinarily alive. They have breathed life into the stone. The unique and largest stone building in Vietnam is 27 m high, has 4 floors, the 2nd and 3rd floors have 9 arches, which are the history of Vietnam from the Lac Long Quan era to the Ho Chi Minh era. The stone building is not only a unique stone architecture, but also a "visual book" of history, which can be compared to the "Dictionary of Vietnamese History".
In the book, the two authors also carefully wrote many Han Nom parallel sentences carved on stone pillars with sophisticated lines, containing many meanings, and is also a valuable collection of Han Nom art of the nation.
It can be said that the book is like an explanatory essay, a story about cultural heritage, including 7 stone structures recognized by the State as "National Monuments".
The 18 stone structures in the book, described in detail, demonstrate the tireless creative work of the two authors, as well as the artisans of ancient times. "They were not only stone sculptors but also painters and poets who breathed life into the stone, turning the rough, solid stone into unique stone works of art, "One of a kind" (Foreword).
The book is a tribute to and affirmation of the intellectual value and talent of people in general, and in particular, the stone carving and carving artisans in Ninh Binh. After reading the whole book, you will see that in Ninh Binh, perhaps only in Ninh Binh, there are such unique stone architectures, from small to large, from ancient to modern, from traditional to modern, from primitive to sophisticated, meticulously carved, gracefully and elegantly about the "Four Spirits", "Four Seasons" as in Noi Lam stone temple and the largest unique stone building in Vietnam. In the stone architecture, when assembling the stone slabs together, there is no adhesive but using mortise and tenon joints, but they are very solid, strong and tight.
It must be said that the two authors have an easy-to-understand writing style and simple, fluent writing style that both convinces readers and affirms their ability to observe with a general perspective on the research issue, meeting the trend of preserving and promoting the values of intangible and tangible culture of the nation.
In addition, the book also participates in educational work, especially for the young generation to understand Vietnamese history, Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese architecture, and at the same time contributes to promoting Ninh Binh tourism industry.
Nowadays, when society develops, there are many modern machines that help build high-rise buildings, higher and higher, people will probably forget about traditional architecture that is all done by hand with rudimentary tools for processing and carving stone such as hammers, wooden mallets and large and small chisels and putty. Therefore, the book has preserved the values of ancient and modern people about stone, helping us have a correct view of the history of the stone craft of our ancestors, contributing to preserving the national cultural identity. The book does not only talk about stone, the important thing is to affirm the talent and golden hands of ancient and modern people.
I am sure that readers will gain much value from this book and the book will be widely distributed in the country and printed in English so that foreigners can understand more about Vietnamese stone architecture and Vietnamese culture.
Thai Tuan
Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/-tinh-hoa-kien-truc-da-ninh-binh-cuon-sach-co-nhieu-gia-tri/d2024073011347360.htm
Comment (0)