Using only slender bamboo toothpicks, Dang Hong Ron of Hoai Nhon Ward in Gia Lai Province has spent more than a decade crafting detailed models inside narrow-necked bottles, a rare and highly specialized art form in Vietnam.
Inside each bottle, hundreds of thin, flexible bamboo toothpicks are cut, arranged and assembled to form houses, boats, vehicles, airplanes or full miniature scenes. Every component must be inserted through the bottle’s neck and fixed into position using hand-crafted tools that Ron designed himself, including custom tweezers, support sticks and glue applicators.
Ron began experimenting with the craft in 2012 after completing his military service. He had learned to make simple bamboo models while in the army, but was inspired to push his limits after seeing photos of foreign wooden models inside bottles. Finding wood too limited for fine detail, he switched to bamboo toothpicks for their precision and versatility.
Living near the sea, Ron often collected discarded bottles that washed ashore. Their varied shapes became the “frames” for his work, each inspiring a different design. What began with simple boats gradually evolved into complex structures requiring weeks - sometimes more than a month, to complete. A single mistake in the final phase can ruin the entire piece.
To date, Ron has created around 40 models. Most have been given to friends and family, with only about 10 kept at his home. He does not sell his work, describing the craft as a personal pursuit rather than a commercial venture.
Ron also buys most of his bamboo toothpicks from disadvantaged individuals, adding a quiet humanitarian dimension to his hobby. For him, the value of each finished piece lies not in money, but in the patience, precision and perseverance invested, and in the joy of seeing an imagined structure come to life inside a bottle.