Hua Van Minh from Da Nang’s Son Tra District used to be a civil engineer and he spent most of his time working at construction sites. 

Minh making a model of the Dragon Bridge

In 2015, the 34-year-old quit his job and he began to manufacture souvenir products mainly made from bamboo toothpicks.  His products are models of some of the city’s unique features, including the Han River, Rong (Dragon), and Tran Thi Ly bridges, the Hue T-junction overpass, and the Da Nang Administrative Centre.

His souvenir items are now available at the Da Nang Souvenir and Café at 34 Bach Dang, and they are proving popular with domestic and foreign tourists.

Minh remarked that he is focused now on making even more of the souvenir items as the city’s tourism sector is seeing strong growth.  He noted “It takes me a lot of time to create each item because it requires accurate skills and meticulous preparation.  I have to boil the bamboo toothpicks and dry them in the sun to ensure the products’ durability and to prevent termites from damaging the items”.

He is now able to make up to 15 items per month.  In addition to his current product range, he intends to design and make other items depicting popular wonders from around the world.

He said “I am very happy when I create a new product which is attractive to both domestic and foreign customers.  It has become a driving force for me to continue my efforts to develop even more products.  I am planning to share my souvenir-making experience with local disabled people to help them earn a living”.