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08:00 – 18:00 DAILY • CHUYEN MY, HANOI
VIEN
TRANG STUDIO – LACQUER VILLAGE
VIETNAMESE LACQUER MONOGRAPH • MATERIALS & TECHNIQUE2026-11-07 • 9 min read

Vietnamese lacquer (sơn ta) explained: materials, process and how to try it

Vietnamese lacquer painting (tranh sơn mài) is one of the world's most distinctive fine-art traditions: an art form where the image is not merely brushed on top of a surface, but built up in deep, luminous strata of natural tree resin, silver leaf, iridescent mother-of-pearl, and cleaned natural eggshell — then revealed by grinding backward through the layers under running water.

Key Facts at a Glance

Natural Resin Source
Sơn ta — natural resin harvested from lacquer trees in Phu Tho Province in Northern Vietnam's midlands
5 Studio Materials
Seasoned wood base board (vóc), Chuyen My mother-of-pearl & sea snail shell, cleaned natural eggshell, natural sơn ta resin, and mineral pigments with silver leaf
Defining Technique
Multi-layer coating cured in humidity followed by wet-polishing (mài nước) under running water
Where to Try It Near Hanoi
Trang Studio – Lacquer Village, Chuyen My Commune, Hanoi (2.5-hour workshop, 300,000 VND per person, 45–50 min from central Hanoi, open daily 08:00–18:00)
Preparing natural wooden base boards (làm vóc) for traditional Vietnamese lacquerware at Trang Studio in Chuyen My
Preparing the wooden core (vóc sơn mài) at Trang Studio – Lacquer Village: seasoned timber, alluvial clay, and natural lacquer layers form an enduring foundation.

01 / THE LIVING RESIN (SƠN TA)

What Is Sơn Ta? From Protective Vessel Coating to Modern Fine Art

At the heart of traditional Vietnamese lacquerware is sơn ta — a natural resin harvested from lacquer trees cultivated on the hills of Phu Tho Province in Northern Vietnam. For centuries, Vietnamese craftsmen used this organic resin to seal wooden vessels, protect temple architecture, gild statues, and bind mother-of-pearl inlay in Chuyen My village.

Unlike synthetic varnish or acrylic paint, which dry by solvent evaporation, natural sơn ta cures in warmth and high humidity to form a durable, water-resistant, amber-deep film.

When multiple layers of black lacquer (sơn then), vermilion, silver leaf, cleaned eggshell, and mother-of-pearl are applied over a prepared wooden core (vóc) and then wet-polished under water with fine abrasive stone and sandpaper, the surface transforms into a painterly medium of remarkable depth and inner light.

02 / THE MATERIAL PALETTE

The Five Natural Materials Used at Trang Studio – Lacquer Village

At Trang Studio – Lacquer Village, every workshop artwork and DIY kit is built from five traditional natural materials rather than synthetic resin or printed decals:

  • 01.01. Seasoned Natural Wood Base Board (Cốt gỗ tự nhiên làm vóc): Natural timber shaped into Wooden Fish or Round Plaques, sealed with alluvial clay mixed with raw lacquer and wet-sanded flat so the board resists warping.
  • 02.02. River Mother-of-Pearl & Sea Snail Shell (Vỏ trai sông & vỏ ốc biển): Hand-selected and flattened in Chuyen My village, iridescent shell fragments provide shifting prism tones of emerald, rose-violet, and silver.
  • 03.03. Cleaned Natural Eggshell (Vỏ trứng tự nhiên làm sạch màng): Natural chicken and duck eggshells with the inner membrane carefully removed and dried. When pressed onto the adhesive outline with a wooden stylus, the brittle shell fractures into an organic crackle mosaic.
  • 04.04. Traditional Vietnamese Lacquer Resin (Nhựa sơn ta truyền thống): Natural tree resin harvested from Phu Tho lacquer trees, serving as both the protective binder and the deep, luminous topcoat.
  • 05.05. Mineral Lacquer Pigments & Silver Leaf (Màu khoáng sơn mài & bạc thếp): Traditional vermilion red, deep black, ochre, and metallic silver leaf that create contrast around the inlaid shell and eggshell.

03 / THE 5-STEP STUDIO PROCESS

How a Lacquer & Mother-of-Pearl Artwork Is Made: The 5-Step Process at Trang Studio

A large exhibition lacquer painting can take months of repeated coating, humid curing, and water-grinding. At Trang Studio – Lacquer Village in Chuyen My, Painter Trần Công Dũng and Master Artisan Nguyễn An Định (more than 40 years of craft experience) pre-prepare the multi-layer wooden base boards (vóc) so visitors can complete all five core stages within a single 2.5-hour studio session:

  • 01.Step 01 — Choosing the Base Board & Sketching the Motif (20 mins): Guests select a prepared Wooden Fish or Round Plaque (Tree of Life, Mother-of-Pearl Butterfly, or 12 Zodiac Animals) and trace their layout.
  • 02.Step 02 — Inlaying Mother-of-Pearl & Sea Snail Shell (35 mins): Under hands-on guidance from Master Artisan Nguyễn An Định, guests arrange and bond iridescent Chuyen My shell pieces along the main focal motifs.
  • 03.Step 03 — Crackle Eggshell Inlay (35 mins): Guests place cleaned natural eggshell fragments and tap them gently with a wooden stylus to form a fine crackle pattern, then seal the gaps.
  • 04.Step 04 — Applying Mineral Lacquer Colours (30 mins): Guests brush mineral lacquer colours and silver leaf accents over the composition to build tonal depth around the shell and eggshell inlay.
  • 05.Step 05 — Wet-Polishing Under Water & Gift Packaging (30 mins): Using 3 grits of wet sandpaper (P400, P800, P1500) under water, guests polish back the top coat until the hidden mother-of-pearl and crackled eggshell shine flush with the surface, then pack the finished piece in a gift box to take home the same day.

04 / CONTEMPORARY LACQUER PERSPECTIVE

Painter Trần Công Dũng (Dũng Dị): 'Painting with the Grinding Stone'

In contemporary Vietnamese art, lacquer extends far beyond traditional decorative panels. Co-founder and Art Director of Trang Studio – Lacquer Village, Painter Trần Công Dũng (born 1969 in Tuyên Quang, Việt Nam; graduate of Trường Đại học Mỹ thuật Việt Nam), has spent more than two decades exploring the dialogue between traditional sơn ta craftsmanship and contemporary expression.

Across his solo exhibitions in Hanoi — including 'Độc thoại với sơn mài' (2006), 'Diễn trò' (2011, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc), 'Nửa ngày' (2018), and 'Tự sự với sơn ta' (2024, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum) — as well as international group exhibitions in South Korea, Hungary, Italy, and Thailand, Trần Công Dũng treats the grinding stone as a second brush.

By bringing Chuyen My's nearly 1,000-year mother-of-pearl inlay heritage into conversation with fine-art lacquer, his studio work shows how a traditional craft village and contemporary painting enrich one another.

“In oil painting you add light onto the canvas at the very end. In Vietnamese lacquer, you bury light deep inside the wooden core at the beginning — and then you search for it patiently with water and stone.”

— Painter Trần Công Dũng, Co-founder & Art Director of Trang Studio – Lacquer Village
Painter Trần Công Dũng (Dũng Dị) in his lacquer studio at Trang Studio – Lacquer Village
Painter Trần Công Dũng (Dũng Dị) at Trang Studio – Lacquer Village in Chuyen My, Hanoi.

05 / TRY IT YOURSELF

How to Try Vietnamese Lacquer & Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Yourself

Whether you are visiting Hanoi, planning a cultural programme for an inbound tour group, or looking for a hands-on craft experience at home, Trang Studio – Lacquer Village offers three studio and village experiences plus three DIY Kit editions:

  • 01.Book the 2.5-hour Studio Workshop in Chuyen My (300,000 VND per person): MAX 8 GUESTS PER SESSION, completing 1 finished artwork to take home the same day. Open daily 08:00–18:00, 45–50 min from central Hanoi.
  • 02.Book the 4-hour Half-Day Village Visit & Dual Artwork Workshop (300,000 VND per person): MAX 8 GUESTS PER SESSION, combining a 45-minute village lane walk with 195 minutes in the studio crafting 2 finished pieces (1 Wooden Fish + 1 Round Plaque).
  • 03.Book the DURATION: 4 HOURS (MORNING 08:00 – 12:00 | AFTERNOON 14:00 – 18:00) Chuyen My Craft Village Tour (300,000 VND per person / person): MAX 8 GUESTS PER SESSION, combining a 60-minute walk to 2–3 family inlay workshops, a 105-minute studio workshop (1 artwork to take home), and a 75-minute bicycle ride to the village church.
  • 04.Order the DIY Lacquer & Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Kit (Single Kit – “Companion Wooden Fish”: 300,000 VND / kit • Single Kit – “Heritage Round Plaque”: 300,000 VND / kit • Double Gift Box – “Reunion” (01 Wooden Fish + 01 Round Plaque in cloth-lined box): 300,000 VND / kit): Includes prepared wooden base boards, pre-cut Chuyen My shell, cleaned natural eggshell, mineral lacquer colours, tools, and a bilingual VI–EN manual with QR video.

Verified Sources & Official Recognition

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS TO CHUYEN MY

Visit Trang Studio – Lacquer Village in Chuyen My Commune, Hanoi

Located in Chuyen My mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer village, Hanoi — open daily from 08:00 to 18:00 (Monday – Sunday).

TRANG STUDIO – LACQUER VILLAGE

Trang Studio – Lacquer Village (Chuyen My mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer village, Hanoi)

GPS COORDINATES

20.7388171° N, 105.8671163° E

No. 6, Lane 3, Trung Hamlet, Chuyen My Commune, Hanoi (Chuyen My mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquer village), Vietnam

GETTING HERE FROM CENTRAL HANOI

A 45–50 minute drive south of central Hanoi via National Highway 1A or the Phap Van – Cau Gie Expressway, accessible by private car, taxi, motorbike, or tour coach.

Open Directions in Google Maps →
No. 6, Lane 3, Trung Hamlet, Chuyen My Commune, HanoiOpen Directions in Google Maps →