A man who crafts the whole culture

Philosophy and cultural beauty are conveyed in the quintessential carvings on each cake mold of a Ha Thanh artisan.

The small store of the artisan Pham Van Quang at 59 Hang Quat Street, Hanoi. (Picture: Thao Ly)

Located in 59 Hang Quat quarter, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, a dinky house is famous to many people since it is the store of artisan Pham Van Quang with his wooden mold making craft. Although the store seems to be roughly 20 square meters, artisan Pham Van Quang has been attached to it for more than half his life.

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The shop is modest, but it is surrounded by a plethora of sophisticated carvings, particularly small wooden molds created by the skilled hands of artists.

Mr. Quang is carving a wooden stamp. (Picture: Thao Ly)

Artisan Pham Van Quang said that he had been living on Hang Quat street for nearly 60 years. Previously, Hanoi capital was famous for 36 streets and wards with countless handicrafts. In particular, it was notable because of many carved and sculpted artisans, including wood carving ones.

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In modern society, while mooncakes are made by chain machines, there are still craftsmen who make mooncake molds manually. The traditional profession of making cake molds has long passed its golden age, but Mr. Quang is still attached to it. When he started his career, he did not consider making cake molds merely a means of subsistence. Making a living is one thing, but it is still important to enjoy what he does, which is the delight of conversing with his clients and knowing they value his products. Once he perceives his job as a joy, the aged artisan will be more driven to pursue the career passed down through generations in his family.

Mr. Quang reminisces about the process of making each wooden mold. (Picture: Minh Hang)

For the artisan Pham Van Quang, learning is a lifelong activity. “Age is simply the duration of your existence on this earth. If you make full use of your time to improve your competency and widen your knowledge, it will make a significant difference,” he said. He claimed that wood carving is a profession that intertwines every aspect of a culture. When discussing memorial carving, he argued that the memorial is not only a symbol of spirituality but also represents the nostalgia of the living for the deceased. As a craftsman with a heart for his profession, he studied both Buddhism and Han Nom to use the appropriate terminology, as well as making the engraving delicate and conveying the soul and respect in each engraving.

Since mooncakes are more than a cuisine, the cake mold needs to contain sophistication. Wooden molds, as opposed to plastic molds, are more intimate and heartfelt, as the design reflects the intentions of both the client and the artist. Patterns and characters on mooncake molds convey complex cultural connotations in an extremely limited space.

A new mooncake mold has been made.

(Picture: Thi Dung)

The molds can feature small and simple designs, such as mouse, pig, crab, pineapple, or lotus, as well as more intricate motifs and details, including “carp turning into dragon” and “dragon and phoenix gathering”.

Having experienced ups and downs with the craft of hand-carved wooden molds in Hang Quat Street for decades, artisan Pham Van Quang has left many impressions and love on the people of the Vietnamese capital. However, each customer comes with different demands these days, so artisans must keep up with the times. Therefore, in order to attract more customers, the wooden molds need to change." The most important thing is to preserve this national quintessence in the face of the changes and development of society in the 4.0 technology era.

By Thi Dung, Minh Hang, Thao Ly.

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