Vietnamese man produces meditation wind chimes
Saturday, November 27, 2021, 10:30 GMT+7
After hearing the beautiful sounds produced by imported meditation wind chimes at a pagoda in the southern city of Vung Tau nearly ten years ago, Tran Ngoc Hong Duc decided to produce his own wind chimes.
Duc, an IT system engineer, spent about six months in 2012 creating his first set of wind chimes and later established Dofrance Windchimes, which he claims is the first Vietnamese meditation wind chime brand.
According to Dofranc’s website, each set of wind chimes is calculated to produce sounds at exactly 432Hz, a frequency which is believed to assist with natural mental healing.
“Each set of wind chimes is an artwork handmade to be a healing musical instrument that doesn’t need electricity,” the website states.
Wind chimes at Dofrance Windchimes workshop in Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City. Video: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News
Currently, Duc’s wind chime workshop in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Thanh District is capable of producing 40 different types of wind chimes from aluminum, copper, and bamboo.
On peak days, the workshop manufactures around 200 to 300 sets of wind chimes.
A set of wind chimes typically includes four parts: the top circle, the tubes, the clapper and the wind sail.
The main part of the manufacturing process consists of cutting the tubes, testing the frequency, drilling holes in the tubes for threading, and cleaning the pieces before assembling and painting.
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| Tran Ngoc Hong Duc cuts a tube to create a set of wind chimes at his workshop in Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
According to Duc, the hardest task is ensuring each wind chime produces the correct sound.
“There are two important steps, which are cutting the tubes and assembling them into wind chimes,” Hong Duc, 34, said.
“After cutting the tubes, we have to test if they produce the right frequency we need. If they don’t, we have to adjust them or throw them away.”
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| Tran Ngoc Hong Duc uses two spoons to test the sound of a number of tubes prepared to be assembled into wind chimes. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
A set of Dofrance wind chimes fetch between VND400,000 to 12 million. (1US$ = 22,694)
Duc’s wind chimes are not only favored by domestic buyers but also by customers from Thailand, China and Germany.
A majority of his customers are monks and meditation and yoga practitioners.
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| Tran Ngoc Hong Duc drills a hole in a tube to make a set of wind chimes at his workshop in Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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| A staff cleans the tubes before putting them into a set of wind chimes. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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| A staff member puts the top circle on to complete a set of wind chimes. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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| A staff member puts clapper into a set of meditation wind chimes. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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