A contest for the design of stone sculptures is to be launched in Da Nang in the first half of next year. 

The contest aims to encourage local organisations and individuals to create different designs for stone-carvings of lions and “Nghe” (a fictional creature with the head of a lion, the body of a dog, and a long tail), both of which are imbued with the Vietnamese cultural identity.

The 20 most outstanding entries will be selected for display at an exhibition in a local public area.  In addition, sculptures will be carved from these designs at the Non Nuoc stone carving village, and local residents will be encouraged to buy them.

Non Nuoc stone sculptures on display

Representatives from the village’s 30 most outstanding carving establishments recently contributed their opinions about the design contest.  Many of them said that some of the lion and “Nghe” sculptures which are currently on display at an exhibition of ancient Vietnamese feline masterpieces feature eye-catching designs.  However, these sculptures are only designated for sacred places such as pagodas, temples and village communal houses.  Therefore, the local carvers stressed the need to create different stone sculptures to meet the diversified demands of the general public. 

So far, 500 of the village’s carvers have left their jobs and 500 others are facing difficulties due to a slump in sales. 

Currently, carved lion statues worth in total 80 billion VND are left in stock at the village.  Therefore, it is hoped that the stone sculpture design contest will boost sales of locally-made stone sculptures in order to further the development of this traditional craft village.