Culture Culture
A unique collection of miniature farm tools
Mr. Tran Huu Ham has been known by many people in La Chu hamlet (Huong Chu commune, Huong Tra town) as an old man of nearly 90 years old, with a unique miniature farm tool collection, holding unforgettable memories of every Vietnamese. He has been also nicknamed "a farm tool specialist".
Mr. Tran Huu Ham (90 years old) with his miniature farm tool collection
Mr. Ham said: "Life was too hard back in the old days, I had worked as a servant for a while and then became a caretaker. There was nothing left for my children so I made this collection for 30-40 years to commemorate life in the past”. Up to now, Mr. Ham's collection comprises more than 300 valuable farm tools, objects and models such as rice millers, rice threshers, water pedals, water carriers, secret tunnels… All of them are very close to Vietnamese countryside.
His idea came when he accidentally saw a photo of his two daughters studying while riding a water pedal, which were hung in a gallery in Hue city. He recalled: “When I looked at the photo, the memory of hard days suddenly came back in me. At that moment, I just desired to collect things related to the days when I had to "tighten my belt" to raise my children. The desire has been attracting me until now.”
A ploceidae nest, a familiar sparrow species in the fields of Hue. It is now not easy for young people to find these unique bird nests with many memories. Countryside pictures rush back in Mr. Ham's collection, help the youth love their country and childhood more. Le Van Trung, fifth-year student of Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (Huong Van ward, Huong Tra town) had come to see the collection and said: "Coming here and listening to his story, I could understand the meaning of knowing the usage of each farm tool”.
For decades, Mr. Ham spent his own money collecting things that were familiar in the daily life of Vietnamese rural families. His display of farm tools has become a place to show many young people the love of paddy fields, help them respect the past and better understand about the country's agriculture.
By Xuan Truong-Truong Huyen
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