A marble statue in Non Nuoc goes through five stages: choosing and splitting the block, roughing out the basic form, shaping the figure, carving the fine detail, and grinding and polishing the surface. Machines now do much of the heavy cutting; faces, hands and fine ornament are still finished by hand with chisels.
A small figure can be finished in hours, a large statue can occupy a team for weeks or months. In a working yard you can usually see pieces at every stage side by side.
Watch each stage in a working yard
Our half day stops at a Non Nuoc yard where you see blocks, half-shaped figures and finished statues side by side.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursSee the tour →What are the stages of carving a statue?
| Stage | What happens | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Choosing the stone | The carver reads the block for colour, grain and cracks, and decides how the figure will sit in it | Eye, hammer, experience |
| 2 · Splitting and roughing out | Excess stone is cut away until a rough outline of the figure appears | Saws and cutting discs; traditionally hammers, wedges and crowbars |
| 3 · Shaping | The volumes of the body, drapery and base are formed | Grinders, points and chisels |
| 4 · Carving the detail | Faces, hands, hair and ornament are cut; this decides the quality of the piece | Fine chisels and small hand tools |
| 5 · Grinding and polishing | Tool marks are ground away and the surface is smoothed and polished, often with water | Abrasive stones and papers, polishing pads |
What do machines do, and what do hands still do?
Mechanised tools arrived in Non Nuoc from the 1980s, and today angle grinders and cutting discs do most of the roughing out and much of the shaping. That is why the village can produce large numbers of standard figures, and why so many pieces in the showrooms look alike.
The parts that make a statue good are still done by hand: the expression of a face, the fall of a sleeve, the fingers of a Buddha’s hand. When you judge a piece, look at those parts first. The history of the craft is in the Non Nuoc stone village guide.
Why does the stone matter so much?
Marble is a stone that can be cut in any direction and takes a fine polish, which is why it suits figures. But every block has veins, colour changes and hidden cracks. A skilled carver places the face away from a crack and uses a vein to follow a fold of cloth. A poorly chosen block can split in the final stages, losing days of work.
Since quarrying on the Marble Mountains was banned in 1990, the village has worked stone brought from other provinces, so the character of a Non Nuoc statue today depends on where its block was quarried.
What should you watch for in a workshop?
Stand where the dust is not blowing, and ask before photographing carvers at work. The noise of grinders is loud; some yards have hand-carving going on quietly in a corner, and that is often the most interesting place to watch. If a carver offers to let you try a chisel on a practice piece, it is a chance to feel how hard the stone is.
See the carving, skip the sales floor
Our half day visits a working yard in Non Nuoc with a licensed local guide, after the caves of Thuy Son.
Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone Carvers5 hoursSee the tour →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern Light10 hoursSee the tour →How marble statues are made: quick answers
How long does it take to carve a marble statue?
From a few hours for a small figure to weeks or months for a large statue, depending on size, detail and how much of the work is done by machine.
Are Non Nuoc statues carved by hand?
Partly. Machines now do most of the roughing out and much of the shaping; faces, hands and fine detail are usually finished by hand.
What tools do marble carvers use?
Traditionally hammers, wedges, crowbars and chisels; today also saws, cutting discs, angle grinders and polishing pads.
Where does the marble in Non Nuoc come from?
Since quarrying on the Marble Mountains was banned in 1990, carvers have brought stone from other provinces, mainly Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Thai Nguyen.
From block to Buddha, in one yard
Choose your group size and the price covers the day: pickup, private car, licensed guide, every ticket and water. Free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & the Stone CarversThe Marble Mountains caves at the hour the light comes in, the Lady Buddha on Son Tra and a working Non Nuoc carving yard, with your own guide and car. · 5 hoursfrom$39/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$135BOOK →2 guests$140BOOK →3 guests$150BOOK →4 guests$155BOOK →See the full tour page →Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha & Hoi An by Lantern LightSon Tra, the Marble Mountains caves and a Non Nuoc carving yard in the morning, then Hoi An old town and a boat on the Thu Bon as the lanterns come on. · 10 hoursfrom$89/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$265BOOK →2 guests$295BOOK →3 guests$325BOOK →4 guests$355BOOK →See the full tour page →Details of the craft were checked against national heritage documentation in September 2026.