In the middle of Hoi An ancient town, there is a small stall displaying hundreds of strange portrait sculptures carved from bamboo roots. Those are the artwork of Huynh Phuong Do whose nickname is "Do bamboo roots".
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Artist Huynh Phuong Do, who is known for his talent in carving bamboo root sculptures in Hoi An (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Do's souvenir shop on a corner leading to the Hoi An market (Photo: VNP/VNA)
A sculpture is carved from a bamboo root (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Do's tools for making bamboo root sculptures (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Foreign tourists are interested in Do's sculptures (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Foreign tourists are interested in Do's sculptures (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Do’s works surprise Japanese tourists (Photo: VNP/VNA)
Do hangs the sculptures for sale (Photo: VNP/VNA)
The strange sculptures in Do’s shop capture the attention of anyone passing by. Seeing an artist surrounded by bamboo roots and artworks hung on the walls, many foreign tourists are surprised and curious. They look to buy and order Do’s bamboo root souvenirs when visiting Hoi An (Photo: VNP/VNA)
For many people, the bamboo root is seen as a waste product or at most used to make fires for the poor. Do has been making a name for himself by carving beautiful sculptures out of bamboo roots (Photo: VNP/VNA)
After nearly 20 years of sculpting, Huynh Phuong Do has not only built a decent livelihood but also taught many generations of young artists (Photo: VNP/VNA)