Those who visit Thach That district will nerver forget the images of houses, village gates, wells and walls built with laterite bricks are rough and lumpy butthey create a rustic beauty suitable to te countryside scence.
Laterite is a soft and porous typpe of rock. Due to its main composition of irion oxide and alumnium. It is rather soft when deep underground. When unearthed, it is exposed to the air and gradually hardens. So it is used to make building materials instead of using bricks.
Thach That district has many laterite mines. In the past people worked the mines mostly to use the laterite as construction materials. Over time, they discovered that laterite is not only a cheap, durabele and beautiful construction materials but can also be used in making statues and decorative items for home and buildings. With this in mind, people in Thach That created e new way to earn a living- making fine art items from laterite.
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| Artisan Tran Van Nghiem carves laterite into a giant elephant. |
For over ten years, Binh Yen commune in Thach Thact district has ben known for its craft for making ornamental items for laterite. All products made by the villagers are always sold, making them properous. The commune has about 200 householdss engaged in mining anf processing laterite. Nguyen Van Dan in Yen My village, the owner of the well- known laterite -mining and processing business in the area, has been engaged in this occupation for 12 years and now for members of his family are involved in this work.
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| People in Binh Yen Commune use laterite for many purposes. |
He said that mining and processing laterite requires dilligence, meticulousness and the skillfull hands of the workers. Over the years the technique of mining and processing laterite has basically remained the same. It is craft so people with good health, creativity and some simple tools can open a shop.
Visiting Dan `s workshop we saw rows of laterite bricks and many beautiful animal artworks made of laterite. There are even old- stylr lamps, padoda gates and delicate flower pots. Dan said: " In the old days people in this area used laterite to build houses and pigsties. Now laterite is used to make hight- grade products for wealthy people".
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| At the laterite-making worshop owned by artisan Nguyen Van Dung. |
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| The plain beauty of a gate made from laterite. |
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| A flower vase made from laterite. |
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| The gate of the communal house in Binh Yen Village is built with laterite bricks. |
There is great demand for laterite in construction, especially to build pagodas or houses of ancient style. To creat a rustic, friendly and family beauty, lateriteis the most suitable material. More and more people are spending a lot of money to buy laterite. This earn more money for people in Binh Yen commnune in particular and Thach Thact district in general, enriching their life anf the society as well.
According to:
http://vietnam.vnanet.vn/vnp/en-US/30/28495/print/default.aspx
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