Thứ Bảy, 31 tháng 10, 2015

Hoi Quan weaving village

Hoi Quan weaving village in Tuong Giang Commune, Tu Son Town, Bac Ninh Province experienced ups and downs through history, the weaving craft is still maintained and handed down through the generations. 
Hoi Quan weaving village 1

Major products of the craft village are bamboo screens which are used in hotels or exported overseas, pillows and nappies for babies, and handkerchief. Moreover, the craft village is also well-known for sanitized white cloth used for light industry. 

Visiting Hoi Quan, visitors can see the interesting things of the village when they reach the village’ gate. From the gate, the brick paved lane, a unique characteristic of ancient village in the North, leads to village households. Visitors can hear the sound of running spindles of weaving looms in ancient mossy houses. The tradition is that Hoi Quan villages girls when grow up most know every steps of how to weave a small width piece of cotton cloth or a piece of silk to sell at local markets. 
Hoi Quan weaving village 2

Before the revolution in Agust 1945, almost every household has a weaving loom, some families has 5 or 6 weaving looms and had to hire more people to weave. The key products of this village is small width cloth (40 cm), mosquito – net cloth, thick cloth, check cloth, silk, and even medical style cloth during some periods. During the war in the North, the village still maintained and significant contributed to the 9 year war (1945 – 1954). After 1954, when the North was totally liberated, weaving in the village was developed with wider weaving looms and weaving technique was improved from string pulling to feet paddle to weave more cloth types such as calico, plain batiste, check batiste. 
Hoi Quan weaving village 3

Hoi Quan weaving village has currently 900 households (3,650 persons), 90 percent of whom do weaving job. Ten percent of weaving households are big scales weavers. The hardship of Hoi Quan people has helped to maintain the traditional vocation, creating significant incomes to the society, improving households’ economic conditions.

Visiting Hoi Quan, visitor have a chance to visit a culture village which was named as a “village with a good traditions which deserves complementation” by King Tu Duc (1872). Visitors can also hear the busy noise of running spindles and see the hardworking of the local people who work from dawn to dust to create high quality products.

Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 10, 2015

Tuy Loan ancient village

About 15km southwest of Da Nang, the Tuy Loan ancient village is located in Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Phong Commune.  It boasts beautiful scenery and the unique characteristics of a Vietnamese rural village.
Tuy Loan ancient village 1

The village dates back over 500 years to the time when Emperor Le Thanh Tong issued a royal proclamation to extend the country’s territory.  A stele erected at the worshipping house of the village’s five families reveals that their five predecessors with the last names of Dang, Lam, Nguyen, Tran and Le together founded this village.

Despite many ups and downs over the past 5 centuries, local residents are proud of the village's many old houses, its history and its beautiful setting with its many interesting features that include an old banian tree, a boat station, a communal house and others.  Villagers also take pride in their speciality of My Quang (Quang rice noodles) plus their rice paper making.
Tuy Loan ancient village 2

The village communal house was built in 1889 under the reign of Emperor Thanh Thai.  Despite the passing of so many centuries, the house still retains its inherent majesty.  It covers an area of over 110m2 and has brick walls and a pantile roof.  It is decorated with two dragons flanking a moon, and flying dragons encrusted with shards of pottery.  It has four rows of jack tree wood pillars, each having six pillars between 2.5 and 4.5m high.  The structure of the rafters is patterned after "Chong ruong - Gia thu".  The pillars against the walls are carved with stylised floral designs and their bases are decorated with pumpkin shapes.  At the two sides, the roof beams are decorated with a dragon's head, and the tie beams of floating clouds, daisies and peonies reflect their artistic value.  At present, the house preserves 20 honours dating from Emperor Minh Mang's reign to Emperor Khai Dinh's. The communal house was recognised as a historical and cultural relic in 1999 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Tuy Loan ancient village 3

To pray for peace and prosperity through the year, a traditional festival is held annually from the 9th to the 10th day of the 1st lunar month at the village communal house.  The two-day event features various solemn traditional festive activities, including an incense offering ceremony in commemoration of national heroes and ancestors, and the floating of flower garlands and coloured lanterns on the Tuy Loan river.  In addition, locals and visitors have the opportunity to enjoy folk games and traditional competitions such as “bai choi” (singing while acting as playing cards), grilling “banh trang” (soft rice paper), cooking “banh chung” (square glutinous rice cakes), tug of war, climbing banana trees, catching eels, and interesting boat races.

The Tuy Loan ancient village is a really peaceful destination for those who want to get far away from the hustle and bustle of city life as well as to relax and temporarily forget the pressures of daily life.  Visitors will be fascinated by the village’s scenic rustic natural beauty along with its festivals filled with music, food and fun.

Trich Sai ancient village

Trich Sai is one of six ancient villages in the Ke Buoi area that is within the Buoi commune, Tay Ho district, Hanoi. It has preserved its traditions and rich culture while also developing as a part of Thang Long-Hanoi. 
Trich Sai ancient village 1

In the Ke Buoi area, Trich Sai is situated on alluvial soil along the banks of the Thien Phu and To Lich rivers. The Thien Phu River silted-up during the years of the Ly and the Le dynasties and today it actually consists of many small ponds.

A bit of history

Trich Sai village has a long history and in the village there are many old pagodas, temples and shrines. Village elders say that in ancient times, what is now called West Lake (Ho Tay) was known as Dam Dam Lake, and it was surrounded by forests that sheltered many kinds of animals, including the legendary nine-tailed fox. At that time, the people of Trich Sai village made their money by selling the trees that they cut down and the forest animals that they killed. They also caught fish, snails and oysters in the lake. Along with the villages of An Thai, Bai An and Ho Khau, Trich Sai was famous for its silk cloth. Legend has it that in the time of King Le Thanh Tong (1460-1497), the king sent one of his concubines, a Cham girl named Phan Thi Ngoc Do, and 24 maids to Trich Sai village. This concubine taught villagers how to grow mulberry trees, raise silkworms and weave silk. The silk cloth made by the Trich Sai villagers became famous and was sold locally and exported. While the people of Trich Sai long ago ceased weaving silk, local people are aware that silk was once the pride of Trich Sai village on the shore of West Lake. 
Trich Sai ancient village 2

Historic relics

Historic relics such as communal houses, pagodas, temples and shrines still exist in Trich Sai which are said to date back to the Ly Dynasty.The Thien Nien Pagoda, which is recognized as a historic relic of national importance, was built in the time of King Ly Nam De (451-455). The pagoda is part of a complex on Thap Bat Hill that was built to honor two of King Ly Nam De’s daughters who were killed by a monster.In his time, King Le Thanh Tong (1460-1497) had temples built in Trich Sai village for his concubines to worship Buddha.

For ages people have gone to the communal houses of Trich Sai and Vong Thi villages to worship a man named Muc Than who had foiled an attempt by the great tutor Le Van Thinh to kill King Ly Nhan Tong one day when the king was taking a stroll around West Lake. People from the two villages even now go to these communal houses every year on the sixth day of the ninth lunar month to commemorate the death of Muc Than. 
Trich Sai ancient village 3

In Trich Sai village there’s a small pagoda called the Gia Hoi Pagoda. Legend has it that one day two daughters of King Ly Nam De, Van Phuc and Van Loc, went to Long Do Mountain in Trich Sai village by the West Lake to kill the legendary nine-tailed fox that was a danger for local people. The two daughters could not kill the animal themselves and so they asked a female magician named Van Tho for help. The creature disappeared but performing this difficult bit of magic killed poor Van Tho. King Ly Nam De promptly built a temple to worship her. When the two daughters of King Ly Nam De, Van Phuc and Van Loc, died, the temple was renamed Phuc Loc Tho and people were told that they could worship all the three women here.

There’s also a temple in Trich Sai village where people worship Phan Thi Ngoc Do, and many old houses still exist in the village. In more modern times, Trich Sai villagers have shown themselves to be true patriots by fighting against the French and the Americans.

Today’s Trich Sai village is a part of modern Vietnam but its cultural and historical values remain unchanged, and this makes the ancient village on the edge of the old Thang Long imperial city different and special.

Thu Le ancient village

The ancient village of Thu Le is located near Tam Giang Lagoon in Quang Phuoc Commune, Quang Dien District. It was established during the middle of the Le Dynasty (1428-1788). For over half a century, the village has preserved many cultural features of a village in the old capital of Hue.
Translated from the Chinese, the name “Thu le” means “giu le”, (literally keeping politeness and rites), which shows that the villagers attach much importance to maintaining their rites, customs and disciplines. 
Thu Le ancient village 1

Thu Le is an agricultural village but it is famous for such cultural works as pagodas and communal houses. It is also famous for Ngu Hanh Temple built to worship Princess Huyen Tran during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400) who followed her husband to reclaim new lands in the South. There is also Van Thanh Temple to worship Khong Tu and Vo Thanh Temple to worship Quangong.
In the village, there are 14 families, including eight large families, namely Le, Nguyen, Ho Dang, Phan Gia, Phan Ngoc, Phan Nhu, Ngo Van and Ngo Thoi. According to the village’s custom, each large family together with the authorities and villagers, take responsibility for organizing worshipping rites during the year.

Along the village’s main road, many family worshipping houses are scattered. Each is not only a beautiful architectural work but they also preserve the cultural and historical imprints of a family.
The village also boasts an ancient pagoda with a grand three-gate entrance. The main hall was built in the style of a long Ruong house, a strange architecture rarely seen in Hue. 
Thu Le ancient village 2

The roof of the pagoda was terracotta inlayed with different shapes of dragons, unicorns, tortoises and phoenixes. All the parts made from wood in the pagoda were carved with delicate patterns, showing the skillfulness and talent of artisans in My Xuyen Village in the past.

On the main four doors, artisans created four-season paintings and eight beautiful objects with five bats holding in their mouths the Chinese script “Tho”, symbolizing five good fortunes. For a long time, Thu Le Village’s pagoda has been the place for organizing religious activities and is a charming destination for tourists nationwide.

400m from Thu Le Pagoda is the village’s communal house which was built according to the rules of fengshui. It is an architectural relic in the suburbs of Hue with the style, scale and decoration imbued with that of the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century.
The wood structure in the communal house was also delicately carved. Furthermore, the communal house also has preserved many precious ancient objects like stone steles, stone bells, a block of marbles used to exorcise the plagues and a set of 57 ordinances conferred by kings in the Nguyen Dynasty.

Annually on January 6 of the lunar calendar, the villagers in Thu Le organize their wrestling festival in the yard of the communal house that attracts a large number of visitors. The wrestling festivals in Thu Le and Sinh villages are considered the most ancient and famous in Hue in particular and the Central region in general.

On the 7th, when the wrestling festival ends, the villagers flock to participate in a boat-racing festival. During the first two days of the New Year, the area seems to be overwhelmed by the festive atmosphere that shows the optimism and sporting spirit of the villagers. 
Thu Le ancient village 3

Besides the traditional festivals, in February of the lunar calendar, despite the cold weather with its drizzling rain, the village elders gather at the communal house to prepare for the cleaning and decorating of unknown graves.

Once every three years, the villagers organize a rite to worship the unknown spirits. The custom has been handed down from generation to generation, showing the caring and kindness of the villagers.
With a tradition of thirst for learning and overcoming difficulties, the younger generation of Thu Le Village now brings into full play the traditions of their ancestors to preserves the cultural identities and values.

Visiting the village, tourists have a chance to discover the simple beauty of a famous village in Hue where there are roads shadowed with bamboo clusters, small lanes and moss coved communal houses and pagodas, wharfs, boats and rivers. All these things remind visitors of their sweet childhood.

Xuan La " To he" village

Xuan La village has three thousand people and around 200 people are earning their living by making To he. Everywhere there is To he – that place has Xuan La villagers.
The toy figurines which have brought a small joy to many generations of Vietnamese have experienced many ups and downs, but Xuan La people are faithful to this job, though this job can’t make them rich.
xuan la " to he" village 1

To he – folk culture

For children, To he can open a colourful world where they can see characters from history, movies and cartoons, from the famous monkey named Ton Ngo Khong in “The Journey to the West” Chinese novel to Picachu and Pokemon, characters from famous Japanese cartoons to princesses in fairy tales, etc. 

Today, when children are flooded in the world of modern games, toys, etc. To he craftsmen have to be very creative to make their characters lively.To make To he, craftsmen must be very patient, but most To he craftsmen are men. Xuan La families have one oral rule: secrets in making To he are only transmitted to sons and daughters-in-law, not daughters. According to old craftsmen, this job appeared around 300 years ago. 
xuan la "to he" village 2

To he is a traditional toy that is closely tied to the lives of farmers. To make To he, craftsmen only need glutinous rice powder, which is dyed with seven basic colours (green, sea blue, red, purple, yellow, white and black), and bamboo sticks. 

In the past, Xuan La villages used trees, ash, etc. to make colours for rice powder but now they use food dyes, to still ensure that children can eat their toys. 
The tools to make To he are very simple, comprising a bamboo stick, a small comb, a bee wax piece and a small knife. With a small box containing the above things, a To he craftsman can go everywhere for several days or even a month. 

Like other traditional crafts, To he has experienced many ups and down. Sometimes To he makers seemed to have lost their job because they couldn’t compete with Chinese toys, which are eye-catching and cheap.Thanks to the efforts of Xuan La villagers, this craft is surviving. Now children can see To he at every park or at the gates of schools.

To he – A cultural ambassador

This folk toy has confirmed its position and is considered a cultural ambassador of Vietnam. Craftsman Nguyen Van Thuan, who has made To he for 56 years, has been to the US and Japan to perform To he-making art.  
xuan la "to he" village 3

No one knows when the art form first appeared but Xuan La is seen as its traditional home. Children in the village, from the age of 7 or 8, started to learn how to make To he from their fathers. As there were no lessons, learning was mostly visual. 

From sticky rice flour and pigment, the artisan can shape the dough into a doctor’s figure, dragons, a phoenix, birds and trees. Though To he is not a particularly difficult job, artisans should know well how to combine different colours in order to produce a lively effect. 

During the holidays, from the first to the third lunar months of the year, 60% of the villagers from Xuan La go to different cities and provinces to knead To he. An artisan can earn around VND40-50,000 per day. But money is not the issue. To he makers say they are happy seeing the joy in the eyes of children who get to see their work. 

Thứ Tư, 28 tháng 10, 2015

Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village

Not far away from Ho Chi Minh City, Long An has both the beauty of Mekong Delta and the charm of the Southeast, which is suitable for exciting trips. One of the destinations can hardly be ignored when coming to Long An is Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village (Huu Thanh Commune, Duc Hoa district). 
Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village

Located in downtown Tan An, (center of politics, economy, culture, science and technology of Long An province ), more than 30km to the northeast, Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village has a total area of about 30,000m². It is set beside a peaceful, quiet and poetic river named Vam Co Dong which has called into poetry, history, and was also inhabited by Phu Nam people of ancient Oc Eo culture.

The ancient village Phuoc Loc Tho fascinates visitors by ancient houses with classic architectural style which has characteristic of Vietnamese people. Most of the houses here have been collected from Hue, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Dak Nong and Quang Nam... and the western provinces. This is the ideal space to relax, retreat and soak in the natural. 
Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village 1

Next zone is a house in Middle Vietnam style, bearing the royal appearance. 6 other houses remain wooden stilt houses, unique style of Highland. In each house there are many items on display, precious ancient objects from daily life of kings, military agencies, landowners, farmers, such as carriage, telephone, phonograph, cups, ivory... to the spiritual objects of Vietnamese culture.Also, in Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village there is a temple modeled on the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi.

Leaving to the entertainment zone, visitors can admire more than 250 thousand kinds of orchids imported from Thailand, nearly 20 hundred-year-old trees and many bonsai are placed in the middle of the lake with varied designs.  
Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village 2

Renovating old houses have long been an elegant hobby of many local people and appeared in many localities in Vietnam including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other cities. Moreover, Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village has been preserved, restored almost intact, and arranged in harmony with hills, trees, and lakes. In 2012, the Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village was set in Vietnam Records Book for owning the largest number of old wooden houses with rich patterns in Vietnam. The village was also recognized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Long An province as a tourist destination and open for visitors, recreation, picnics, wedding... 

Coming to ancient village Phuoc Loc Tho, visitors not only have the opportunity to explore the hidden beauty of the old house, but also have the opportunity to explore the culture of Vietnam in the Mekong River area along the Vam Co river or ancient Oc Eo cultural, also enjoy the special dishes of the Long An area, listen to sweet folk songs... Therefore, the Phuoc Loc Tho ancient village is always crowded by tourists, especially those who love ancient beauty, Vietnam traditional architecture and photography enthusiasts to come here to visit and compose.

Da Sy forging vilage

For centuries blacksmiths from Da Sy Village have been hammering out quality metal products that are famous country-wideFrom early morning ‘til late afternoon, the sounds of steel and iron being beaten with hammers resounds throughout Da Sy Village, as it has for 400 years or more. The village outside Ha Noi City is famous for its metalware. The name is known throughout Viet Nam.The first impression one gets when entering Da Sy Village is a rush of excitement at the sounds of hard work and enthusiasm – a chorus of hammering on family anvils.
Da Sy forging vilage

In the showroom of the Da Sy Association of Traditional Forgers, villagers often sit around telling historical stories about the village and different ways of production. Visitors can also see the metal being beaten into knives, scissors, sickles, hoes, spades and other farm and garden tools.

The village is one of the best places in the nation to see blacksmithing practices that go back nearly 3,000 years to the beginning of the Iron Age in Viet Nam, even further if one takes in the renowned bronze culture of the Dong Son period from which the ironwork evolved.
Da Sy knives and scissors can be found throughout Viet Nam. Even merchants from Laos and Cambodia put in regular orders. The village, formerly known as Ke Se Village, is in Kien Hung Ward in Ha Dong District. It is one of the many craft villages conserved by the Government.
Da Sy forging vilage 1

Da Sy villagers are proud of their homeland for many reasons. Apart from the traditional forging trade passed from generation to generation, it is also well known for many successful doctors, some of them famous. That is the reason why the name was changed to Da Sy (Many Doctors).

According to the late Professor Tran Quoc Vuong, metal forgers from the Dong Son cultural region, of which today’s Da Sy Village can be included, provided the Hung founding kings with weapons to protect the nation, then known as Van Lang, against huge armies of northern invaders.This means that Da Sy’s blacksmiths can probably claim a direct connection with the founding kings of Viet Nam – and gives their work an historic edge few other towns or cities in Asia can claim.

Weapons made in the village have also been used in the battles for liberation in the 19th and 20th centuries, giving their work extra cachet. When peace returned to Viet Nam 40 years ago, the Da Sy people returned to making to agricultural implements such as ploughs, rakes and machinery parts or kitchen implements.

According to local historians, the present village rose to prominence under two blacksmith ancestors, Nguyen Thuat and Nguyen Thuan, several hundred years ago. They arrived from Thanh Hoa Province, which adds further substance to Professor Vuong’s theories.
Da Sy forging vilage 2

Today’s Da Sy’s knives and choppers are still renowned for being hard wearing and able to retain a hard and sharp cutting edge. Although mass produced factory tools have flooded the market in recent decades, Da Sy people are full of confidence about their products and their future.Moreover, the designs of the hand-made village products are much more varied and individualistic. About 100 types of knives and more than 10 types of scissors are made in Da Sy Village.

According to the head of the Da Sy Association of Metal Forgers, Le Thanh Yen, the work is hard and includes many complex processes, such as making rough drafts, keeping fires burning, hitting red-hot iron into shape with hammers, tempering (strengthening) the metal with water – and then sharpening the final product

Thuy Ung Horn sculpture-Oyster-encrusting village

Thuy Ung Horn sculpture-Oyster-encrusting village Thuy Ung horn carving village has long been famous for its handicraft products. Born and grown on this traditional land, artisans maintains his father career to create the horn products. With the abundance, the sophistication and high-quality,  products of Thuy Ung have been favored by domestic and foreign markets
Thuy Ung (Hoa Binh, Thuong Tin, Hanoi) is well-known as a horn comb village. But like many other traditional villages, it also faced to economic difficulty. In subsidy period, the buffaloes, cows are used for agriculture. Thus, material for production is not enough. The whole village had to move to the wooden comb, plastic comb for living and the horn comb seem to be eroded.
Thuy Ung Horn sculpture-Oyster-encrusting village  1
In order to make a horn comb, workers must do many stages. Each stage requires the workers to be very skillful, carefull. The making process is difficult because all horn comb is completely different from others and workers must depend on their horns to produce. The value of each is not only shown by horn material but also by the processing of workers.

With talented hands, the business acumen, and the psychology of customers knowledge  Thuy Ung villagers has innovated designs, diverse product. Besides traditional combs, he created some new products such as: bracelets, rings, brooches, combs ... with different designs and styles.

With his horn production and Thuy Ung village scale, the raw materials from domestic suppliers do not meet. So Thuy Ung villagers has to import raw materials from other countries such as Laos, Cambodia and other countries in Africa. "Horn of each continent has a different color.  So our products are also more abundant, more colorful, " a villager shared.
Horn comb is the best one for hair. It prevents and fixes broken hair, massages the scalp, maintains circulation, brings nutrients to hair roots. Currently, there are many fake horn combs on the market. Talking to us, he unveiled " to know real horn comb, the simplest and most efficient is combustion. If it is real product, it will become soft, and to a certain temperature it will burn down".
Thuy Ung Horn sculpture-Oyster-encrusting village  2

Thuy Ung workshop makes the hundreds of products per day. Currently,  products appear in many shops and  entertainment centers over the country, especially in Hanoi such as Vincom, Trang Tien Plaza, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ngoc Son temple, Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam .....

In order to take advantage of raw materials for environmental protection, villagers does not waste any part of the horn. They uses the smallest piece to make ornaments, even sucks the dust of horn to be sold to farmers as fertilizer. The using all materials is both increasing income and protecting environment.

Thai My bamboo- weaving village

For years, the village of Thai My in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City has specialised in making plenty of products from bamboo and rattan which are favourites in the domestic market and exported to some foreign countries. 
Thai My bamboo- weaving village

According to artisan Cao Thi Cu, 86 years old in Binh Thuong 2 hamlet, the craft of making bamboo and rattan products has existed in the village for over 100 years and has been handed down from generation to generation. For years, each hamlet in the village has specialized in making only one type of product and all the villagers, from the old to the young, are quite good at the craft.

There were times the village’s craft flourished and their products were much sought after in the market. During peak seasons, products were heaped up in every house and were sold in only one day. Even, the villagers could not meet the demand of customers. However, in recent years due to available plastic and aluminum products, the bamboo and rattan products have become less popular. Thanks to the authority’s support and the locals’ effort, the craft has been preserved. To have material for production, the villagers grow bamboo around their houses, in their gardens and fields. They invest more in production facilities and advanced technology to improve the quality of products which have gradually regained their position in the domestic market and are exported to some foreign countries.
Thai My bamboo- weaving village 1

The locals also created their own machines to whittle the bamboo barks off and make brims that help shorten the process of production and reduce expenditure. In 2007, Le Vinh Hanh in My Khanh A invented a machine with a capacity of whittling the bamboo’s bark that equaled the output of 15 people. To expand the production scale, he also imported 20 machines to split bamboo laths. At present, his workshop provides jobs for 25 people and supplies the material for all households in the village.

Visiting Thien Long Workshop owned by Le Thi Huych, we saw the strong revival of this craft. Her workshop, covering 3ha, was full of products for export. With 50 workers, her workshop can produce about 1,200-1,500 bamboo baskets/day and exports about 30-40 containers of products each year to Taiwan, China. Huych said that some years ago, her workshop could not provide enough bamboo baskets for Taiwan customers because of the considerably increasing demand during the peak season of harvesting cabbages. Therefore, to meet the timely demand of customers, she has plans to both produce and store products. 

Thanks to Ho Chi Minh City’s financial support policy and the assistance of the authority in Thai My Commune and the women’s association, the locals in Thai My drastically invest in technology and make diverse product to meet all tastes of customers

Thanh Ha pottery- making village

The Thanh Ha Pottery Village is located by the Thu Bon river, Cam Ha ward in the Quang Nam Province, 3 Km to the West of the ancient quarter. The Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An is a famous example in this type of establishment that aims at furthering tradition as well as employment. The pottery village has a long historical legacy and it used to play an important role in the  development of Hoi An ancient town.
Thanh Ha pottery- making village

The village originated in Thanh Hoa province and it formed at the end of the 15th century, developing vigorously in the later centuris, at the same time  as the Hoi An port. The products made by the villagers mainly serve the daily lives of the native people in domestic markets. The pottery products include bowls, jars, pots, animal shapes, in multiforms and colors, and they are lighter than the same products in other places

Although they have experienced various challenges over time, economic difficulties and foreign competition, the local inhabitants are always trying to preserve a traditional profession, inherited from their ancestors. The techniques that they use are unique and very diferent from those prevalent in other provinces. Therefore, the village is more of a live museum and it holds precious documentation resources for scientists who study about traditional pottery in Viet Nam and in South East Asia.
Thanh Ha pottery- making village 1

Thanh Ha pottery products are made by very well-trained craftmens. They use special clay mixing, burning and baking techniques, and heat modulations to bring out different colors. Depending on the time of burning and the temperature of the kiln, the color can be changed from pink, pink yellow to red, light brown and ink-black. Thanks to the special technique of processing soil and the combination of successive manipulations, the durability of their products is ranked at the top as compared to others in the country, and the brightness is the same as enamel. A soft and clear sound with echo can be heard by knocking on the product. Some products are offered on request or used for planting orchids; they are decorated with the sink and float vignettes that are simple but very nice.
Thanh Ha pottery- making village 2

Thanh Ha Pottery craftsmen have been invited by the Court of Nguyen Dynasty in Hue to create special products for various activities of the imperial palace. The same as Kim Bong wood craftsmen, they were placed at the eighth or nineth grade of the mandarin system. In the recent decades, Thanh Ha pottery has been sold throughout the country and sometimes abroad (Canada, America, France). It is also the most trusted name for contractors engaged in tasks of renovation.

Tourists visiting this wonderful village will take pleasure in collecting souvenirs they have seen the skillful craftsmen make before their own eyes.

Van Lam embroidery village

Van Lam village in Dong Hai commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province was previously called O Lam (Forest of crows). In addition to its rich cultural and historical tradition, the village is famous for its traditional embroidery craft.  Located by the famous Tam Coc-Bich Dong tourist site, the village has become a popular tourist destination. 
Van Lam embroidery village

The embroidery craft appeared in Van Lam village in the 13th century in the Tran dynasty. At the gate of the village, there is an ancient temple dedicated to the founder of the local embroidery craft. Vu Thanh Lam, a local elder, says Van Lam people worship the founder of the embroidery craft on the 15th day of the first lunar month: “Legends say that Ms Tran Thi Dung, the Great Tutor Tran Thu Do’s wife, came to the village with other people of the Tran royal family and taught local people the weaving and embroidery crafts. The first local products were clothes decorated with bird patterns and parallel sentences and robes for the royal family. Since then, the embroidery craft has become popular among local people. Van Lam embroidery products have found their way to other regions of Vietnam and overseas. We set up this temple to show our deep gratitude to the founder of the craft and to preserve the craft”.
The temple also worships Dinh Xuan Nghenh and Dinh Xuan Xoan, who brought the lace craft to the village in the early 20th century. 
Van Lam embroidery village  1

Local women demonstrate their embroidery craft at the Tam Coc wharf while waiting for boat customers. As the craft is handed down through generations, most people in Van Lam get involved in creating embroidery and lace. Men in the village master the embroidery craft just like the women. With thin colorful threads, the skillful hands of local artisans make embroidery products that are as sophisticated and beautiful as masterpieces of art. Ms Nguyen Thi Lua of Van Lam village says embroidery is a detailed craft: “We cannot say how long it takes to make an embroidery picture because it depends on the type of the picture that we make. It takes more time to make more detailed and larger pictures. The craft requires artisans to master every step”. 
Van Lam embroidery village  2

In Van Lam village, nearly 700 households make embroidery pictures. Each house in the village is a workshop whose artisans are family members.
Van Lam embroidery products are famous not only in Vietnam but also overseas. In recent years, they have been exported to Japan, the US, Germany and France. Van Lam artisans are constantly creating new products and modifying their products to meet market demand. They have created more than 200 lace patterns and combined embroidery and lace to make beautiful pictures. Ms Lua says:“Customers’ needs are diverse. Some people like blankets, some like table cloths, mattresses or clothes. They are interested in seeing how we make embroidery pictures. We always try to make quality products to introduce to customers”.

Van Lam people have organized package tours to introduce tourists to local scenic spots and embroidery craft. Decorative patterns depicting the Vietnamese countryside, charming Vietnamese girls, and flowers on Van Lam embroidery products are most impressive.

Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 10, 2015

Chu Dau pottery- making village

When talking about ancient pottery villages, one immediately thinks of Bat Trang, Hanoi’s ancient ceramic village. But another ancient pottery village named Chu Dau, thanks to a discovery made in the 1980s, is beginning to rival Bat Trang. Chu Dau’s ceramic craft, once famous worldwide, has been resurrected after disappearing for 3 centuries. 
Chu Dau pottery- making village

The name Chu Dau literally means “wharf”. Chu Dau village in the northern province of Hai Duong was known only as a busy trading hub until evidence was uncovered that it used to produce ceramic vases that were renowned around the world.

The story of Chu Dau’s revival as a ceramic village began with a 1980 letter from Makoto Anabuki, Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, to Ngo Duy Dong, Secretary of Hai Duong Province's Party Committee. In this letter, Anabuki wrote that during a working trip to Turkey, he had visited Topkapi Saray Museum in Istanbul and was very interested to see an ancient Vietnamese ceramic jar on display. On the jar was written: "In the Year of 1945 of the 8th Thai Hoa reign, a ceramic maker of the Bui Family in the Nam Sach area drew on this jar just for fun." Makoto Anabuki asked the Party Secretary to find the origin of this valuable jar 4 years later. From the information given, excavations uncovered relics proving that Chu Dau village used to produce ceramic products of high artistic merit. The discovery that wowed pottery experts also shocked the local residents. Nguyen Minh Tu, is a village elder of Chu Dau, says: "I never knew there were pottery kilns in this village although I sometimes found pieces of glazed terra-cotta in my garden. Only when experts came to my house and conducted excavations did I learn that those were pieces of national treasures. My fellow villagers and I are very happy and excited to receive experts, even foreign experts, to our village to research the village’s ancient craft of pottery."
Chu Dau pottery- making village 1

In 1993 and 1997, at shipwreck sites in the Philippines’ Pandanan sea and near Vietnam’s Cham island, scientists found more than 340,000 porcelain objects from Chu Dau village, 240,000 of them unbroken. This proved that Chu Dau ceramic items were exported across the globe. Research has confirmed that Chu Dau’s ceramic craft was at its height from the 14th to the 17th century. There are currently 46 museums around the world displaying pottery products from Chu Dau village, some of the items worth as much as 1 million USD. In 2000, Nam Sach district native Nguyen Huu Thang, Director of the Saigon Haprosimex Company, wanted to revive Chu Dau as a ceramic village, copying excavated fine ceramic pieces for export and developing the village’s tourism potential. Villager Nguyen Van Luu was assigned the task of reviving the craft. He elaborated: "Our village’s ceramic craft has been highly praised by the international community. After much research, we decided it would be a very good thing to revive ancestors’ ancient craft. We believed this would generate jobs for many local people."
Chu Dau pottery- making village 2

As part of this effort, in October, 2001, a Chu Dau ceramic workshop was established. Efforts were made to find and collect ancient ceramic pieces, and invite experts and artisans from other ceramic villages to collaborate on research into the colours of traditional ceramics. About 200 young people from Chu Dau Village were selected and taught the basic techniques and professional secrets of each production process. These apprentices will become expert artisans in the family ceramic groups of the future. From this workshop, many Chu Dau ceramic items have been exported globally, earning the villagers a better living now while paving the way for them to do even better when craft village tourism begins to spread their reputation to every corner of the world.  

Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 10, 2015

Ly Nhan forging village

Ly Nhan commune is situated in the northwest of Vinh Tuong district, Vinh Phuc province. The commune has 282.6ha in terms of natural land and 141.7ha in terms of cultivating land. It is adjacent to  Phu Thinh in the north and AnTuong in the south and ThuongTrung in the east and in the west , a Red river’s branch next to Minh Chau commune belong to Ba Vi district, Ha Tay province. Ly Nhan consists of 3 hamlets: Ban Mach, Van Giang and Van Ha. Only Ban mach is located inside the Central dam, while the other 2 hamlets are outside of it. Here the forge exists for a long time.

There are many people who wasted their strength to know when the forge in Ban Mach started?But up to date, there have been no correct answers. Ban Mach’s people tell each other that: in the past, its land was rich and convenient to the expansion of farming. But at that time, farming tools were simple and villagers were not devoted in the work, which led to the denuded and desolate village. One day, a duke came to the village for a visit and foud that this land could be developed. He determined to recruite skilled blacksmiths to teach villagers a new trade. The forge in Ban Mach was established since then. Initially, people created working tools for agricultura production. Gradually, when the forge village’s quintessence was known in the imperial city, Ban Mach artisants were assigned to forge weapons serving the feudal wars. Since then, Ban Mach’s forged products have become popular with consumers everywhere.  

Many consumers are fond of Ly Nhan’s forged products because of not only its long-standing history and trademark but also their quality. A knife made by people in Ban Mach hamlet can be used until it wears flat towards its edge without losing its sharpness. Experienced blacksmiths just look at its iron water, then they will say the product are Ly Nhan’s or not. The blacksmiths who are clear distinct can identify which establishment the product belongs to because each establishment has its own key. Those are keys handed down from generation to generation without being taught in any books. Mr Tran Van Hung- a skilled craftsman with 40 years of experience in Ban Mach hamlet revealed that: in order to create a product, the blacksmith must implement many complicated processes and operations. At first, he must select a type of steel that is solid enough for each kind of product. After choosing a suitable steel is to weld, burn and chop the steel. This process help types of steels connect to each other to form a shape of a product. Then Followed by the process of chiseling, whetting, forging and completing products. In order to get a good product, the craftsman need to implement exactly from selecting steels to fitting handles. However, the process giving soul to the product is to chop and burn steel.(called tempering and welding iron in terms of technique). Each establishment and each blacksmith have their own way to temper and weld steels. Experienced craftsmen just see burning fires in the furnace or hear sound of whetting and then they will know that product is finished or not. Therefore, it takes only 2 years for an apprentice to manufacture a product while it may take his whole life to forge a good product but sometime nothing got. Moreover, only craftsman who has a heart in the blacksmith can keep the craft. There were products which were tempered and forged for 10 times by Mr Hung and took him months to create good ones. 


Ly Nhan now becomes a mechanical arsenal with full of vitality. People can see flaming furnaces, hear uproarious sound of blowing fires on bellows, of hammers and whetting metals everywhere.To keep the traditional blacksmith and help it to stand firmly until now, Ly Nhan’s blacksmith has gone through a lot of ups and downs. Especially in the period of subsidization, the nation’s economy met many difficulties, the traditional forge seemed to be neglected. There existed a period when the village had to ruin furnaces, suspend bellows and villagers got rid of the occupation and left the homes to go to other places to seek for work. Only hearted people kept furnaces, forge several knives, hoes in order not to forget the craft. Thanks to such people, the forge is still alive nowadays. 

At present, Ban Mach’s forge village built up a production area separated from the residential quarter with an aim of avoiding noises and ensuring indices in environmental protection. This area has 30 households with more than 100 workers. Many big machines are also concentrated in this area including 7 grinding machines, 33 hammer machines, 10 battering machines of different kinds…Each day this area can supply tens of thousands of products of high quality and bring high incomes and generate jobs for most of its local workforce. These finished products are not simply ones made by machines. They remain to keep the core and quintessence of the traditional blacksmith. They stil have firm position in the market and obtain consumers’belief and make the trademark of Ly Nhan’s forge village become more well-known and strong
Dong Trieu pottery- making village

Dong Trieu is one of the compulsory stops for local and foreign tourists who come to visit the magnificent site of Ha Long bay, with its population of islands rising from the clear and emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Dong Trieu district, situated some 60km from Ha Long city, on Highway 18A, owns some of the most famous ceramic villages in Vietnam.Dong Trieu ceramics has developed more recently than other traditional ceramics villages in Vietnam as the first master craftsman, Mr. Hoang Ba Huy, started his family production workshop around 1955. Few years later, in 1958, he established the Ceramics Co-operative Dong Thanh in Cau Dat village with several other family production workshops. By the end of 1960, he had created another co-operative named Anh Hong Ceramic in Vinh Hong village, Mao Khe town.

Dong Trieu products are listed in the category of refractory ceramics. Artisan mainly use oval kilns firing at 1300C. Main raw material is a soft-white variety of clay from Truc Thon village and refractory kaolin exploited in Tu Lang village, Hai Duong province. To catch up with centuries old know how, artisans have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to find out the most effective methods of material preparation and kiln structure. As a result of extensive research and because of high firing temperatures, Dong Trieu ceramics guarantee a high degree of durability as well as of purity of glaze. All impurities and Fe2O3 are removed from the raw clay and material treatment is strictly controlled to achieve stable quality and pleasant colour.

There are currently 20 oval kilns in Cau Dat village, and around 36 in Vinh Hong, providing work to almost 1500 local labourers. Some production units with low output of small products such as bowls, plates, cups, etc, have started using gas kilns.

Dong Trieu ceramics has specialized in the production of specific items that other ceramic villages are not able to manufacture, such as 100 cm diameter flower-pots, wide flower support seats, basins, etc. Artisans do not fail to the ethics of Vietnamese craftsmen to add the sensitivity and strength of their heart to the dexterity of their hands, as well as modern technology. Styling is made on electric turning tables to generate high productivity. Designs and decorative patterns are well protected as they are drawn under the glaze. They include four seasons, charming scenery, etc.

Dong Trieu ceramics are highly appreciated by foreign customers and flowerpots, indoor and outdoor plant support seats and basins are exported to many countries such as Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Canada, etc. Many local enterprises are now aware of the important potential for ceramics development in Dong Trieu. Attracted by abundant material resources, skilled workforce and favorable transportation conditions, they have invested in Dong Trieu and created a solid basis for further economic development in the region.


Nghi Tam flower- planting villge

Nghi Tam village, stretching along Nghi Tam street. The village has been considered as one of the largest flower village selling fresh flowers in the capital city.

Bonsai have been grown in Nghi Tam since 1228 when a villager bought saplings from a Chinese trader to plant in his village.

Kumquat is another species that spread from Nghi Tam Village to West Lake. During Tet, most families in the capital, and now throughout the country, have their kumquat trees to symbolise talent and wealth.

Bonsai lovers throughout Ha Noi are well aware of the century-old Nghi Tam bonsai trees. Nghi Tam has been a flower village since the establishment of the capital. The village has developed continuously, and has always been considered as one of the largest flower villages, supplying fresh flowers for the city and its vicinity. In the 1950s, nearly all the households were involved in planting flowers.
Nghi Tam is famous nationwide for its traditional occupations of flower and bonsai growing and ornamental fish farming. 

There are many kinds of flowers originating from temperate regions such as the peach blossom, daisy, violet and lily, and particularly the kumquat, peach and while apricot.With the drizzling rain and the cold wind, the temperature is suitable for the growth of these flowers from winter to spring. Nghi Tam flower market is busy every morning.

Every year, just before Tet holiday, Nghi Tam village is filled with people from all over Ha Noi. They come here to buy flowers for decorating their house during Tet holiday, take photographs with their friends and record the beauty of hundreds kinds of pretty and colorful flowers. Ha Noi people  take the utmost care in the selection of their Tet peach trees, taking into account every tiny detail that must sit in harmony with the sentiment or philosophy that one wishes to express.

Thứ Bảy, 24 tháng 10, 2015

Uoc Le pork pies village

Uoc Le appertain Tan Uoc commune, Thanh Oai district, Ha Tay province (old) present in Hanoi, the capital city center more than 30 kilometers to the southwest. Here’s the full features of an ancient village of northern origin, as in passing a small brick building curved bridges, ports and villages and majestic, the surface, built from the Mac dynasty!
Uoc Le pork pies village

Time did it drop, cracks, recent village in western sky go wrong on money supply repaired. Old village had many legend, the older man in village said that : the old days, Lu Gia defeated when he went to war, running on to the tree before village, his head was cutting near leaving neck , se met a old woman asked: People who are cutting off may be there is life? Her family said: can’t live. Then he ends the head from neck and fell down from the horse. The people elevate him was the Emperor, worship at home so far. Follow Nguyen Dang Hung – the chief village- ancient documents dating from the village for Mac dynasty, more than five hundred years ago.

Legend has it that ancient land between the village there is a stockpile of the grain self-sufficiency of the village, called fund “Nghia Thuong”. The village sent people to look after, to help poor people in villages and straitened people. King Tu Duc went through to know pretty customs award 4 letter” My tuc kha phong”.The village regulation is estimated that up in 1928 had 106 things.
Uoc Le pork pies village 1

Uoc Le pork pies is famous delicious by the choice, phase of meat processing techniques and finished products was very meticulous. Uoc Le people don’t use boiling water pig’s hair because the meat will be east, property; the work pies is tattered, residue. Clean hair and quarter, the water is not clean dry absorbent towels that get all the meat and bring on the phase, classification of meat.

Meat is meat of the rump, loin meat from sticking tendons, fat and hot plastic, fresh. To make lean pork paste, choice fat pig about weight 35 – 40kg. If pigs is too big, meat of pork will be red and not brittle. Lean meat filtering is complete, move to mortar, continuous grind with wood pestle. Grind thick head of pestle, fine meat fine mix of fish sauce is first type, for little borax. 1kg pork to mix two spoons of fish sauce. Want to wrap pork white, beautiful, delicious, banana leaf packages or pip banana leaves were dipped over boiling water. Young leaves was inside, old leaves was outside.Bring complete package pork drop right into the pot of boiling water, boil about 50-55 minutes. Picked out, look at the four corners four rolls hatched asterisk are stretching, or clapping hands to hear the pump squeezing fruit rolls are cooked. Slice pork tasted iridescent mirror, wet, but not stick a knife and felt the color pink, there are many holes absorb is delicious rolls.
Uoc Le pork pies village 2

Uoc Le village also famous for two types of spring: Roasted cinnamon and fried crab pork. Roasted cinnamon pork is the perfect dish. Intermediate processing stages such as lean pork paste, only that the meat will well kneaded grind add little powder cinnamon. Next, get bamboo tube (length 80cm, diameter 13 – 15cm) layer of fat spreads around and covering up a thin layer of meat, so stick without driving. Complete kitchens spread over a flaming charcoal. Specific relief to class 2 and class 3 and spins. After done a turn grill brought the water of day lity (yellow, fragrant) had little honey mixed spreads in roasted cinnamon. Wrap roasted cinnamon in face of bamboo, roasted will face.Compared roasted cinnamon with fried crab. Fat thickness meat, scaled hot water, cut up meat into tiny cubes, mix with lean meat and steam under boil pork. When removed, the steamed green patio, put in the boiling fat fried to golden straw. Fried crab pork eat meaty and delicious, strange mouth.