In a room filled with floor-to-ceiling Lego boxes, Dang Huy Hoang is attentively assembling and completing the miniature picture of a Vietnamese grocery store in the 1990s.
Dang Huy Hoang (born 1990, Hanoi) is an automotive design engineer who graduated from art school in the US. Not only in Vietnam, but also in the international Lego Association, Huy Hoang is also quite famous for owning a collection of up to thousands of models. The 31-year-old engineer’s Lego sets are of different sizes. He even has a hobby of collecting rare Lego models, produced in the 60s. 
Hoang began to learn and know about this hobby in 2012, while studying in the US. At first, Hoang bought each set with specific assembly instructions, after a period of in-depth research, he began to design his own work. 
Up to now, he owns about 70% of Lego sets produced from 1989-2000, in the future, he will aim to collect the whole set. Hoang also buys and stores limited edition models that are no longer manufactured in the world. 
His passion for jigsaw puzzles dates back to when Hoang was a child. Now, besides professional work, Lego is a great world for him to unleash his creativity. 
“On the surface, these are just incredibly simple assemblies, but with almost limitless possibilities. How it is made depends on your creativity. This is a healthy way of entertainment, preventing me from burying my head on the phone “. 
In addition to the available models, from the beginning of 2020, Hoang began to arrange Lego to recreate the scene of the village, the Vietnamese temple, the childhood house, the old town of Hanoi … 
In order to create a unique character for the collection, Hoang took ideas from real scenes and things in the city – where he was born and raised. All scenes are exquisitely miniature and colorful. 
For example, in order to recreate a boat, Hoang had to learn, collect some actual images, and calculate the proportions of each part. Then, he researched Lego’s available piece, choosing to experiment with a part of the boat to choose the optimal option. 
On average, Hoang takes about 2 months to sketch and find the right pieces for each work. After that, it takes about 2-3 months to assemble and complete the project. “To have a work created by me, the most important factor is to decide the proportions of the product. After choosing the proportions, I can choose the pieces to assemble the ingredients.” 
During more than 8 years of playing, his most satisfied product is a cyclo. This is also one of the products that gives Hoang the most emotion and effort. “The cyclo is assembled from more than 1,000 parts. To simulate real life, it takes me about 3 months, searching and collecting the pieces. Also, the cyclo cushion and cover, I have to ordered from a 1998 girls’ Lego collection. “ 
The Ha Thanh boy revealed that the cost of this hobby is quite expensive, but he liked it so he could not stop. “Just like some of you like shoes, bags, plants, pets … I like Lego. Once I have self-control, I can balance my expenses so that I can play without bothering. Especially, the most important thing is that I always receive support from my wife and family “. 
Engineer Ha Thanh said that it is very difficult to preserve these models. Must have anti-dust glass cabinets, to the details in the box, classified according to each color group and avoid exposure to sunlight. The puzzle pieces are clearly divided to facilitate inventory and extraction when needed. In the future, Hoang wishes to expand the space into a gallery or museum for his collection.
You must log in to post a comment.