On 26/1, at artisan Van Tong's workshop in An Phu Dong ward, the giant horse model for the Nguyen Hue flower street, Tet Binh Ngo, is taking shape. A team of workers is assembling the parts before painting and smoothing the mascot.

Artisan Van Tong states that after about one month of construction, the project is over 70% complete. In about one week, the model parts will be transported to the flower street for final assembly.

The mascot is 7 m tall and 9 m wide; when brought to the flower street, it will be placed on a 4 m high pedestal. The model is designed after the image of Thanh Giong's horse ascending to heaven.

The horse is made of foam material, divided into many separate parts before being fully attached to a steel frame. The mascot is predominantly yellow and weighs about 2 tons. Over 10 years of constructing the main mascots for Nguyen Hue flower street, artisan Van Tong states that designing and decorating the head is the most challenging part. This section requires high skill to express the majesty of a warhorse.

Workers weld the frame before final assembly. Motors are installed within the steel frame so the horse can move its head and limbs, welcoming visitors to the flower street.

Additionally, about 10 horse mascots for the flower street are nearing completion. The pairs of horses are painted and plastered with straw to be environmentally friendly.

Besides the horses, the workshop is also designing a large rotating lantern for display at the flower street, with its frame currently being completed.

The lantern stands over 6 m tall with a diameter of 6,4 m, forming part of the "Brilliant Memories" grand scene. Its continuous rotation will recreate folk scenes of Tet, showcasing traditional values and national identity.

About 13 km away, Do The Binh's workshop is also creating 6 horse mascots for Nguyen Hue flower street.

These horses are about 4 m tall, made from formex material and steel frames, and are being sanded smooth by workers before painting. The workshop owner states that the horses will feature different colors, advancing heroically, and will incorporate 3D mapping technology to create unique lighting effects.

This year's Nguyen Hue flower street, themed "Spring Convergence - Steadfast Advancement", features many grand scenes depicting the historical milestones and new stature of TP HCM after the merger of Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

The flower street will be open to the public from 19h on 15/2 to 21h on 22/2 (from the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 6th day of Tet). This marks the 23rd year the flower street has been organized in the central area of TP HCM for Tet, becoming a distinctive cultural feature of the city.

Quynh Tran