Unique and unusual: A farmer in his 70s 'transforms' tree stumps into one-of-a-kind items.

Without formal training in carpentry, Mr. Nguyen Van To, residing in Tan Uyen ward, Ho Chi Minh City, has spent approximately 25 years pursuing his passion for unique wood carving.

Around the year 2000, when his family's finances stabilized, Mr. To began collecting tree roots in the forest, experimenting on his own to make decorative items in the shape of buffalo heads, deer, and stags. During the day, he would tap rubber trees, and after returning home at noon, he would pick up his chisel and plane and work until evening. The more he worked, the more he wanted to try his hand at more complex products.