The unique charm of Thach Xa bamboo dragonflies is rooted in their designs, which are inspired by rural life

Artisans in Thach Xa craft village have passed down the art of making bamboo dragonflies through generations, showcasing ingenuity and creativity in their handcrafted products.

Gifts of childhood

Bamboo dragonflies are beloved toys for children. Skilled artisans create these intricate designs, which require significant time and effort. The process involves chopping, splitting, and shaving bamboo, drilling holes, and painting patterns. Each dragonfly's head, body, and tail come from specific bamboo pieces, with careful measurements to ensure stability. After shaping the tail and head, the wings are thinned and polished before assembly. On average, a craftsman can make about 200 dragonflies a day.

As the first person to introduce the making of bamboo dragonflies to Thach Xa, Mr. Do Van Lien, born in 1965, said: Bamboo dragonfly crafting in Thach Xa is a recent handicraft, not a traditional village craft. In 2000, while living near Tay Phuong Pagoda, I noticed a visitor with a bamboo dragonfly that balanced perfectly at its jaw. Intrigued, I decided to try making my own. After several attempts, I discovered how to achieve that balance. Initially, I sold my dragonflies to visitors at the pagoda, but soon more people learned about them and began placing orders. An important step is instilling a "soul" into the product. After crafting the unrefined piece, artisans skillfully paint and decorate dragonflies with various patterns and motifs, ensuring durability and beauty with lacquer. The unique charm of Thach Xa bamboo dragonflies lies in their designs inspired by rural life. Craftspeople also create butterflies, peacocks, birds, turtles, and other bamboo items.

Artisan Nguyen Van Tai, who has worked in this profession for nearly 20 years, said: The hardest part is attaching the wings to the body to ensure the dragonfly stands evenly. The wings must be aligned symmetrically for the dragonfly to balance when perched on a base, finger, or thread.

After many meticulous and careful stages, bamboo dragonflies made from the dedication of Thach Xa artisans have become a gift of childhood, a souvenir for children in the village and tourists when they visit Thach Xa village.

Preservation and outreach

Currently, only about 4-5 households in Thach Xa village are still engaged in making bamboo dragonflies. According to local artisans, this trade does not bring in high income. In recent years, some bamboo dragonfly making families have coordinated with many organizations, cultural and tourism centers to carry out research projects, preserve Vietnamese toys as well as find directions for bamboo dragonflies in foreign markets.

To preserve this trade, bamboo dragonfly making families in Thach Xa have cooperated with some social organizations, such as the Center for Assistance for Poor and Disabled Children - Cenforchil (under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations - VUSTA) and MyHanoi (Vietnam) to carry out the Vietnamese plaything research and conservation project. At present, Do Van Lien's family has also connected with schools and travel companies to organize experiential trips for students and tourists to make bamboo dragonflies, which are very popular for all. As a result, in addition to serving tourists at domestic destinations, Thach Xa bamboo dragonflies have also conquered demanding customers in the United Kingdom, France, Japan, the United States and other markets. This can be considered a new direction that opens up many opportunities for artisans in the context that this trade is fading away.

The robust development of rural agritourism has enabled bamboo dragonflies to freely show off their colors to visitors from all over the world at tourist destinations. Each bamboo dragonfly that flies far away not only demonstrates the creativity of Vietnamese craftspeople, but also contains many profound cultural values with the hope of highlighting the national cultural identity.