A Brief Introduction of The Bat Trang Porcelain & Pottery Village

Bát Tràng porcelain and pottery is a type of ceramic made in the village of Bát Tràng, in the suburban outskirts of the northern Vietnamese city of Hanoi. It is about 13 km from central Hanoi. The village is located in an area rich in clay suitable for making ceramic. Bát Tràng ceramics are considered some of the best known porcelain products in Vietnam besides those of Chu Đậu, Đồng Nai, Phu Lang, and Ninh Thuận. The history of ceramic making in this village can be traced back as far as the 14th century AD. Throughout the centuries, Bat Trang ceramics have been traveling in European commercial ships to all over the world.

Bat Trang ceramics are produced for daily household use (bow, cup, plates, pot, bottle…), worshipping, or decoration purposes. Nowadays, the pottery artists bring into ceramics many innovations in production techniques, and creativity in products’ features, hence many new products have been born, and even daily household items may have the beauty like decoration ones.

Bat Trang pottery has been a high-class, rare but much worshiping: candlestick, incense burner, flower vase. Later, due to tastes developed, plus the market demand, Bat Trang pottery has many household appliances, most commonly bowls, plates, vases. Today, the talent of the Bat Trang pottery village is highly promoted in the market mechanism. Many items of various types and designs have been produced. Fine ceramics, industrial ceramics, antique imitations, high-grade building ceramics are gradually being produced more than household ceramics. Now traditional items are only made when guests order to restoration restored ancient monuments. Stand in front of ceramic art items.

Chuong Conical Hat Village

Located on Ha Dong road-Huong Tich pagoda. Chuong village belongs to Phuong Trung commune, Thanh Oai Distric, about 30 kilometers from Ha noi Centre, the village is well-known for its traditional craft - conical hats. Nowadays is frequented by visitors not only to buy hats but to see how the hats are made.

It takes time and efforts, even patience to make hats. Materials are green leaves brought from Thanh Hóa – Nghệ An. Leaves need processing then put to dry in the sunshine, then indirectly smoked and put under dew-drops (so that the leaves get toughened and whitened and softened). Needling is an art and only well-experienced can do it. Each hat needs 15 rounds of needling, then it has to make the frame balanced. The product is finished, the hat-maker tie 10 or 20 hats in a string for sales. The village has 6 market days. Since early morning, under the old banyan tree, white hats can be seen everywhere, there are also materials to make hats on sale.

Traditionally, conical hats have same size. But presently, due to flow of tourists and different requirement, hats are made in various sizes, from very small ones (for souvenirs).

Recently, in order to welcome APEC 14 Việt Nam, a colossal conical hat was made (ordered by Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism), it’s 1,5m high, the largest diameter is 3,6m, the slope is 2,3m and 15kg heavy. The colossal hat was on display at exhibition “APEC photography on display at cultural heritage” during APEC week. It’s present in the dance to promote Việt Nam culture.

During APEC days, the image of conical hat and áo dài (long robe) become the symbol of Vietnamese women’s beauty. The colossal conical hat by Chuông artisans helped to beautify Việt Nam and the culture of Vietnamese on international arena.

On overage, everyday, about 7,000 hats are finished and they are not only sold at home but exported to overseas (mostly China, Japan and some European countries, that why 90% of the households get busy hat-making.

Kieu Ky village - Gold Leaf Making

Located on the northern bank of the Red River, Kieu Ky Village (a suburb commune in Gia Lam district) is known as the only village in Vietnam still practicing the traditional craft of producing gold leaf.

Visiting ancient architecture, visitors often see gilded products, such as statues and horizontal lacquered boards. Many may know how gilded products are made, but few know that there’s a tiny material used for such sophisticated artworks, which can be only made in an outskirt village of Hanoi.

To create a smooth and shiny golden coat for ancient-looked products, gilding craftsmen need to overlay the products with super-thin gold leaves while the paintwork is still wet.

Those ultra-thin gold leaves are distinctive products made by artisans in Kiêu Kỵ commune, Gia Lâm district, Hanoi, which cannot be found elsewhere in Vietnam.

Kieu Ky villagers have made gold leaves since the 18th century to decorate courts, buildings and interiors of aristocrats, as well as Buddhist sanctuaries in the former Thang Long capital.

Ever since, the clanking sound of hammers hitting anvils from some 120 households producing gold, silver and zinc leaves, has vibrated through the small village.

Each household in Kieu Ky village puts its own distinguishing characteristics on the products. That is why craftsmen can easily pinpoint who the manufacturers of the works are among their fellow villagers. Their tiny products reach every corner of the country.

Quat Dong Embroidery Craft Village

Located in Thuong Tin district, about 25 kilometers to the south of Hanoi, Quat Dong embroidery craft village is considered the cradle of embroidery in Vietnam with its brand name famous throughout the northern region and nationwide.

Quất Động master embroiderers were believed to be some of the best in the country since the 17th century. According to memorial stelae at Ngũ Xã Village in Hà Nội, Quất Động Village in Hà Tây and Tú Thị Temple in Hà Nội, laureate of the royal exam Dr Lê Công Hành (whose real name was Bùi Công Hành) was the founding father of embroidery craft in the country.

Living from the late Trần Dynasty until the early Lê Dynasty in Quất Động, Bùi Công Hành set out to sit for the royal exam, but the country was invaded by the Ming. All exams were cancelled. He joined resistance troupes led by Lê Lợi until the leader defeated the Ming and declared himself King Lê Thái Tổ in 1428. During the reign of his son, King Lê Thái Tông (1423-1442), Bùi Công Hành led an envoy entourage to bring offerings to China.

The Ming Emperor wanted to challenge him to see his talent, so he ordered a very tall tower to be made and invited him to the top for a visit. The Ming Emperor then ordered the staircase taken away so the Great Việt envoy could not get down.

The Emperor issued an order saying that after a month if he could not touch the ground safely, he would be forever imprisoned in China.

The space was dedicated to worshipping Budha, so there was nothing but a water jug to keep hydrated. Trusting that he who lived earnestly would get help, Bùi Công Hành meditated every day, trying to think of a way down from the tower.

One day he saw some bees flying behind the parasols above the Budha statues. He stepped closer and saw a crack in the statue’s arm where the bees had made their hive inside.

Knowing that bees only gather where there is sweet honey, he tasted the statue and found that it was made of chè lam, a sweet desert made from roasted sticky rice powder, sugar and ginger. He ate it bit by bit and thanks to the statue, he survived the long month.

Contemplating the beautiful parasols during that time, he thought of learning to embroider to bring them home to his village.

On the last day of his trial, he took two parasols in his arms and jumped down to the ground, touching down safely to the awe of the Ming Emperor.

Upon returning home, he taught his village how to embroider and gave them a craft to better their lives. For this achievement, he was bestowed a mandarin rank and allowed to adopt the King’s last name. He became Lê Công Hành.

Five villages that were taught by him now worship him in a temple called Ngũ Xã (Five Villages). His memorial day, which is also the country’s Embroidery Founding Day, falls in the sixth lunar month

The beauty and quality of the village's products grew in reputation and became a favourite of royal mandarins and dignitaries in Thang Long (Hanoi today).

Chuyen My Mosaic Village

Located in Phu Xuyen District, about 64 kilometers from the centre of Ha Noi. Scallop shell mosaic is a professional handicraft of Chuyen My Village.

The main job of craftmen is to make horizontal lacquered boards hung in temples or pagodas and some special stuffs like mahogany, tea cabinet, vase, pipe, betel nut, tobacco box, etc. with the themes selected in the ancients ordered by the nobles. The mosaic can be divided into two large types, wood/ copper/ tortoise mosaic products, and mosaic (scallop shell) lacquer.

Visit the village you will learn about traditional scallop shell mosaic techniques, ecorate a selected jewelry using scallop shell mosaic techniques or practice the grinding techniques.

A Brief Introduction of The Son Dong Traditional Sculpture Village

Located next to 32 road about 15km from the center of the Ha Noi Capital, Son Dong commune, Hoai Duc, Hanoi is known for its famous sculpturing statues of Buddha and traditional crafts encompassing carved lacquer, fine arts and wood products.

The village has existed for over 300 years with a long time producing beautifully traditional products for not only the local region but also for the whole country. It cannot be denied that Son Dong traditional sculpture village has a strong vitality with potential development preserved and promoted by professional and talented artisans.

From the raw timber, the skillful workers must go through dozens of steps before finishing a product including selecting the wood, carving it, then painting it. This highly skilled work requires great patience and concentration.

Preserving and developing the craft village and tourism is a concern of all the workers in Son Dong workers. To achieve that, the village has made considerable changes. Along with wooden statues, the villagers are now making objects that contain traditional and spiritual elements of the Vietnamese culture.

Son Dong refined products are not only famous in Vietnam but also exported to China, Thailand, Singapore, and many other countries.

Phu Vinh Bamboo and Rattan Village

Located 35 km from central Hanoi, the southwest, the village of Phu Vinh rattan and bamboo, Phu Nghia Chuong (Hanoi), is known as one of the famous traditional handicraft villages. Everyone in the village, young or old, man or woman, weaves rattan and bamboo. It has been in their blood for generations.

The village has 8 artisans who are nationally recognized. Among the nationally famous villagers, Nguyen Van Khieu, who was born in 1905 and died in l983, is the most famous. He was the first artisan to weave a rattan portrait of President Ho Chi Minh.

Long experience combined with creativity, Phu Vinh village is famous for the quality, skill, and technique exhibited by its sophisticated rattan and bamboo products no other village can match village's designs.

Previously, bamboo and rattan products of the villagers are mostly baskets, mosquito, gradually, screening, bags, boxes ... appliances for daily life. But, life is growing, the needs of people on a high, fine art products such as rattan and bamboo ornaments, lampshades, curtains, portraits, landscape, horizontal, sentences as well as it was born.

Each year Phu Vinh village earns more than US$1.3 million from exports, mainly to Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, and European countries.

Ha Thai Lacquer Village

Located in Duyen Thai commune, Thuong Tin district, about 30km to the south of Hanoi, Ha Thai village has nearly 700 families in total with more than 3500 people, 90% of whom still follow the traditional profession in some way. Each family has a workshop to produce lacquerware and a shop to sell their products.

A legend has it that the craft of Ha Thai has been around since the 17th century and It was just paint job at that time. Although they weren’t the ancestors of Vietnamese painters but there were many talent and skillful artisans.

Of the early 30th of previous century, the first painter Vietnam in the school of Fine Arts of Indochina was discovered explore other color materials such as eggs shell, snails, bamboo splint ... and especially bring technique grind, create a unique lacquer technique for creating lacquer paintings actually. The term lacquer and lacquer appeared since then.Lacquer color using traditional materials like black lacquer, yellow brown lacquer make adhesive matter, and other types of lipstick, silver steel, gold, steel, pearl shell

When new born, lacquer only three colors black paint , red lacquer and yellow brown paint. Thanks to explore the creative process of many artists, the palette of lacquer is now richer. Splendid colors of lacquer, but loving, visible many layer. Lacquer products with elegant shape, the charming shapes ethnic shades such as banian tree & river wharf, ferry-boat with baboo, Halong bay, one pillar pagoda... It is often noted that lacquer is the point "nonsensical": want to make dry drawings has just painted, drawings must be incubated in airtight cabinets and high humidity. Want to see the paintings that abration to see. Nowadays, people have built successful industrial paints can replace traditional types of lacquer, so many advantages, especially in production easier and color paintings are extremely rich.

Lacquer job have very elaborately, many stages. Each stage requires a professional to do it patiently, meticulously, take a loving care this job, if not, the complete product will not see a soul anywhere. It can be said lacquer technology only general principles, but differ in experience and techniques of each individual, each family, as it was making technical changes suitable paintings different create statue, different from decorative objects, paint cover golden age ... Technology can be described by a lacquer of the following main stages: bundle of cuttings build, decorate, grinding and polishing.

Ha Thai lacquer products have been displayed at many local and foreign handicraft fairs. Besides the traditional lacquer products such as lacquer painting, horizontal lacquered board or parallel sentences, Ha Thai artisans also create attractive products to meet the needs of domestic and foreign tourists such as bowls, plates, flower vases, trays, tables, chairs, beds, cabinets…. In particular, Ha Thai lacquer pottery is a popular item in many countries around the world such as England, France, Russia, USA, Spain, Australia, Italy, Japan, Korea…

Dao Thuc Water Puppet Village

Located in Thuy Lam Commune, Dong Anh District, far about 10km from Ha Noi Centre. Dao Thuc water puppet village has been known since The Later Le dynasty, founded by Dao commander (Mr. Nguyen Dang Vinh). He was born in Dao Xa, Yen Phong District, Bac Ninh Province, which has now changed to Dao Thuc village. Thuy Lam Commune, Dong Anh District, Hanoi. He got his doctorate in the competition examination and was appointed to an importan the Court. To broadly develop the country, he built coin foundries, carried out the reform in agriculture, reorganize the land for planting cotton and mulberry tree.

Getting back to his hometown with a strong passion, he founded a wide range of guilds. For instance, the martial arts guild for reinforcing the security, the teaching guild for people to learn knowledge, the worker's guild for apprentice in construction, carpentry, especially water puppetry's guild, which we will get familiar with today.

Acquiring the art of different region's water puppetry through performances in the Court, he selected the best cream of this art and disseminated for local people. To commemorate his huge contribution in shaping and building up ward Dao Thuc water puppet le chose the anniversary of his death (Dec, 24h in lunar calendar every year) to be the Puppetry celebration day.

All the puppets in Dao Thuc village are proximately 30-40 cm tall. They were made of woods then covered by paint for being water-resistant. Every puppet was carved like a specific character in Vietnam folk- stories. Nowadays, in ward Dao Thuc water puppet village, there are still 22 preserved performances and 2 new performances, which praise the happiness of Vietnamese peasants.

There are 50 members currently participating in the ward Dao Thuc water puppet village and all of them are peasants. In annual traditional occasions, especially Lunar new year, this ward received lots of booking to perform at Temple of Literature and Imperial Academy, in Co Loa temple's festival and performance tour contract with travel companies for domestic and international tourists.

In recent years, Dao Thuc Water Puppet Village is well-known both at home and abroad. It has performed in several foreign countries such as China, the Netherlands, Thailand and Japan. The village now has become an interesting destination for foreigners to discover the Red River delta’s culture.

A Brief Introduction of The Hong Van Ornamental Bonsai Village

Located in Hong Van Commune, Thuong Tin District, about 30km from Ha Noi Centre. Hong Van ornamental craft village has an area of ​​128 ha, including 6 areas: Central area of ​​26 ha, Production area and display of ornamental animal products 46.6 ha, Agricultural production area specialized farming, farm models combined with service exploitation experience 17.9 ha, 1.3 ha rural food area, 19 ha peach cultivation area, farm economic zone combined with service exploitation 17.2 hectares.

Over the past time, specific activities of the tourist site of Hong Van ornamental craft village have achieved positive results. In 2016, there were 50,000 visitors, including 3 international delegations, with 47 turns. In 2017, there are 3.5 thousand visitors, including 2 international delegations, with 62 turns of people. In particular, the locations of the Tourist Attractions of Hong Van landscape are attracting many tourists including: Education Farm; Hong Van Flower Bonsai and Service Cooperative; Fruit growing areas combined with spiritual service exploitation experience along the Red River such as Xam Thi temple and temple worshiping Chu Dong Tu to serve the cross customers have demand for beliefs and scenes along the Red River.

The decision also stated, departments, sectors: Tourism, Culture and Sports, Transport, Health, Natural Resources and Environment and People's Committee of Thuong Tin district are responsible for guiding the management and exploitation, development for tourist sites Hong Van landscape craft village ensures effective and sustainable.

A Brief Introduction of The Thiet Ung Wood Carving Village

Thiet Ung Village, Van Ha Commune, Dong Anh District, a short drive from Hanoi, reputedly has the oldest history of wood carving in northern Vietnam. Thiet Ung is one of famous traditional craft villages in Hanoi. The craft village’s products have been well-known since 17th century. From children's toys to rosewood boxes and bowls, figurines depicting buffalos, dragons, flowers and Buddhas, a hand carved piece of wood purchased in Hanoi makes a unique gift. Many pieces such as headboards or dresser drawers have intricate deep relief carvings. Some wood carvings depict legendary serpents and other creatures that symbolized wealth, health and other cherished Vietnamese values.

Wood craft production includes many procedures. The first phase is processing the wood. Wood chosen to make fine art articles is durable, firm and resistant to breaking and termites and has a fine finish. The wood is then cut into pieces of several sizes depending on the size of the desirable products. Finally, these wooden pieces are chiseled and carved with a CNC wood carving machine to form crafts with differing patterns and shapes.

Popular products of Thiet Ung Village are are sold in most provinces nationwide and exported to some countries like China, Japan and RoK.

A Brief Introduction of The Van Phuc Silk Weaving Village

Situated on the bank of Nhue River, about 10km southwest of Hanoi Old Quarter, Van Phuc Silk Weaving Village is renowned for its traditional silk weaving techniques and high quality products,. At the age of more than 1,200 years, Van Phuc is proud to be the most ancient silk village which provides the best silk in Vietnam.

Established over a century ago, this tranquil locale is home to massive banyan trees, wells, communal houses, and local artisans producing a wide range of apparel and souvenirs using traditional looms. Van Phuc was first introduced to the European market between 1931 and 1932 during an international silk exhibition in Marseille, France, where its silk products had gained popularity amongst traders due to its smooth and lightweight texture. Today, this village doesn’t only sell their products to tourists in Hanoi, but also export them to many regions across the world.

Van Phuc village has 785 households who weave silk, accounting for 60% of households living in villages. Every year, Van Phuc produces 2.5 to 3 million square meters silk, accounting for 63% total revenue of all the villages. Currently, Van Phuc village has over 1000 textile machinery and every day there have about 400 seasonal workers from around the region who are coming here to work. Stores silk grew more and more. It has 3 streets with more than 100 stores silk in order to meet the demand of tourists.

Nowadays, not only the local villagers but also the foreign tourists can contemplate the history written on stone and the ancient wooden loom – the prominent evidence of a traditional handicraft village.