Location: The village is situated in Phu Loc Tay hamlet, Dien Khanh town, only a little over 10km from Nha Trang city.

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Among the traditional craft villages still operating in Khanh Hoa, the bronze-casting village in Dien Khanh has recently enjoyed much attention and frequent visits. The village is situated in Phu Loc Tay hamlet, Dien Khanh town, only a little over 10km from Nha Trang city.

When the bronze casting village was officially established is beyond recollection, but according to elders it dates back hundreds of years. With their skillful hands, successive generations of craftspeople have produced nice bronze items with high artistic value and unique shapes.

The production of a bronze item requires a procedure of various steps: making the mould, melting and pouring bronze into the mould.

The materials for mould making comprise clay, tissue paper, lime...and are sometimes mixed with finely ground fireproof brick. The clay for the mould blanket is finely screened and sieved. The earthen clay for the inner lining of the mould must also be well selected and prepared to a fine mixture to avoid any flaws upon bronze  pouring. The finished block mould will then be placed inside a kiln and the heat will be kept at even temperatures without letting the mould be underheated nor too hard burnt.

Extreme care is also required in melting bronze: the molten bronze must reach an even flow, proper temperatures and an accurate amount for the item.

During pouring, the molten bronze must be continuously poured into the mould without letting anything falling in, including sweat, to ensure the gloss of the product and avoid any defects or visible joints.

The bronze-casting village in Dien Khanh used to enjoy its golden days which were then followed by the wartime and an absence of markets, resulting in job switching among the bronze casting families. In recent years, thanks to market demands, the craft has enjoyed new signs of recovery. Presently, besides such items as candlesticks, incense-burners..of  all sizes to serve the people’s worshipping traditions, the bronze-casting village in Dien Khanh has also introduced new products of artistic value to be sold to tourists.

A visit to the bronze-casting village in Dien Khanh will surely provide more valuable information on one of the Vietnamese traditional handicrafts, a unique craft handed down through many generations.