Mr Nguyen Long Buu, who is in his early sixties and comes from Da Nang’s Non Nuoc stone carving village, has become the first craftsman in Viet Nam’s stone sculpture sector to be awarded the title ‘People’s Artisan’ by the State President.

Mr Buu beside his impressive sculptures

In addition to this notable title, Mr Buu has also been presented with a third-class Labour Medal from the State President for his outstanding devotion towards the country’s stone carving sector.  He has also won many top prizes at numerous stone sculpture contests both at home and abroad.

Born in the renowned stone carving village, Mr Buu is the 4^th generation of a family of traditional sculptors.  When Buu was a little boy, he was engrossed in watching his grandfather and father skillfully carving stones with their hammers and chisels.

Showing his strong passion for this form of art, he enrolled into the Faculty of Industrial Design at the Ha Noi College of Fine Arts.  After graduation, Mr Buu returned to his hometown and devoted his efforts to the time-honoured traditional craft.  Now, with over 40 years’ experience in stone carving, Mr Buu has passed on his own very high standards to over 200 local craftsmen.

The experienced artisan always meditates about how to ensure that lifeless stone can become as lively as the human spirit by transmitting from the artist’s fingers to the surface of the stone.  He remarked, “To carve beautiful statues of historical figures, I usually spend much of my time learning about their lives in order to vividly reflect the features of the characters in terms of their general appearance and personalities”.  

Thanks to his great efforts, highly professional skills, and creative inspiration, many of Mr Buu’s impressive sculptures are now on display at many locations both in Viet Nam and abroad.  Most notable are a statue of Guanyin, an East Asian bodhisattva associated with compassion, which is displayed in Thailand.  Also a Shakyamuni Buddha statue in India, a stone tower in France, and 28 impressive sculptures at the Viet Nam National Convention Centre in Ha Noi.

Mr Buu recently submitted his plan to the city’s leaders for approval about a project placing sculptures alongside 90 local streets, all of which are named after a national historical figure.

He proudly said, “Once it is approved, the project will be the first of its kind to be deployed in Viet Nam, making the city’s urban landscape very different from those of the other Vietnamese localities”. 

He continued, “The installation of these sculptures of historical figures will help to make the city’s urban space more attractive to both locals and visitors, especially during the 25^th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC 2017) summit next November.  This project also has profound cultural and educational significances.