With creativity power and the skillful hands of craftsmen, 2D and 3D laser machine-engraved wooden models featuring meticulously-crafted images of Da Nang have become eye-catching souvenirs and unique exhibits for ornamental display, thus contributing to promoting the city’s tourism to visitors from near and far. 

Nguyen Van Binh (in striped shirt) is keen on making designs for his wooden products in his workspace Binh operates the laser engraving machine

At the CONOMi souvenir making establishment, located at 34/44 Thi Sach, Hai Chau District, Nguyen Van Binh, 35, whose hometown is in the northern province of Ha Nam, is always keen on drawing detailed images before putting them onto sheets of wood via the use of the laser engraving machine. His shirt is sweaty and his hair is full of sawdust, but he doesn't mind.

He himself breathes new life into wood to create beautiful arts works. Each work of arts expresses his talent, highly professional skills, creativity and passion.

The first task is to come up with the idea, and then create the design in a certain graphics programme, based on high levels of observation and imagination. Finally, the image file is transferred into the laser engraver so that the details of the image are printed onto sheets of natural wood. From here, these details are glued together in a meticulous and careful manner so as to make a complete model.

Binh said lasers engrave designs with the highest precision onto the parts and can achieve an extremely high degree of detail. Moreover, since every design is saved as a file so that they can be reproduced at the same level of quality.

“The job is very hard. If we are not careful and meticulous, we cannot produce sophisticated objects to satisfy the needs of domestic and foreign clients. Such hard-fought success” said Binh.

Thanks to the great efforts and passion produced by Binh and his co-workers, the eye-catching images of such Da Nang iconic landmarks as Dragon Bridge, Da Nang Cathedral, Golden Bridge and Sun Wonder Ba Na Hills were vividly and reflected on wooden sheets.

Binh said, many years ago, he noticed that souvenir models were produced a lot but their designs were not unique. The city, at that time, still faced a shortage of special tourism products which boasted high aesthetic value and feature its symbols and icons.

Besides, some items are relatively heavy and cumbersome, which is the main reason why many visitors are reluctant to buy them.

Such these facts prompted Binh to come up with the idea of making something very special, compact, lightweight and convenient. That opened the way for CONOMi’s inception.

Till date, Binh’s establishment has entered the 5th year of operation, producing hundreds of beautiful wooden miniatures, ranging from key-chains, pen and book holders to lovely souvenirs for sale to both locals and visitors. The quality, design and sophistication of his products have been increased considerably year after year.

Binh said that the time taken to make a model totally depends on its size and complexity. There are models that take him about one month to create.

Many of Binh’s ‘brainchildren’ are often chosen by the municipal Department of Tourism for display at local tourism promotion events, seminars and conferences. Likewise, many travel agencies have also made the big purchase of these high-quality wooden models as souvenirs for their clients.

Not only in Da Nang, Binh's customers now also come from Ha Noi, Nghe An, Hue, Da Lat Ho Chi Minh City and other Vietnamese localities.

Ms Huynh Thi Huong Lan, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre, said: “The 2D and 3D Da Nang-themed wooden products are really beautiful. Through these models, the image of Da Nang will be widely spread to tourists, and this is one of the ideal forms of communications. In addition, material is quite lightweight, easy to transport, and affordable. These wooden models can serve as souvenirs and tourism products for display anywhere”.

Binh expressed his hope that his products will not only widely consumed within the country, but they will also penetrate into foreign markets in the future.

Binh operating the laser engraving machine

Images are printed onto sheets of natural wood via the laser engraving machine.

Separate details are glued together in a meticulous and careful manner in a bid to make a complete model.

2D models feature the image of the Da Nang Administrative Centre, the Golden Bridge and cable cars.

A pen holder highlight the beauty of bridges, Da Nang Cathedral and beaches.

The time taken to make a model totally depends on its size and complexity. There are models that take him about one month to create.

A large size model of Da Nang

In addition to models of Da Nang, Binh makes miniatures of Hoi An, Da Lat, Hue and other Vietnamese localities. Here is a model of the emblematic Cau (Bridge) Pagoda of Hoi An.

The image of Ho Chi Minh City-based Notre Dame Cathedral

Many 2D wooden models of Da Nang are usually presented as souvenirs for foreign visitors at tourism events.

Reporting by XUAN SON – Translating by A.T