According to history books, North Vietnam is the most ancient land region of Vietnamese people. Along with the length of the history, this is the land region having many temples, pagodas and craft villages. Below, we are going to introduce 10 the most ancient craft villages:
1. Bat Trang Pottery Village in Hanoi:
Bat Trang Pottery Village is located in Bat Trang Commune, Gia Lam District, Ha Noi City. This is the trade village producing pottery products. According to history books, Bat Trang Pottery Village has taken form since Ly Dynasty (1009-1225). when King Ly Thai To move the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (the name of Ha Noi before), 5 families famous for producing pottery in Ninh Binh: Tran, Vuong, Nguyen, Le, Pham decided to take pottery producing artists and families to Ha Noi to make a fresh start.
2. Van Phuc Silk Village in Hanoi:
Van Phuc Silk Village or Ha Dong Silk Village (In Van Phuc Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi City) is a trade village having developing history a long time ago. The products of Van Phuc Village have gone into poetry, music, Art like the cultural beauty of Vietnam traditional trade village. The ancient books that are still saved in Ha Dong District shows Van Phuc area was taken from in 865 AD and weaving occupation was born in about the 13th century. All has been foundation to come in to being Van Phuc Silk Village.
3. Dong Ho painting village in Bac Ninh:
Dong Ho Painting Village (Song Ho Commune, Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province) is located on the fond bank of Duong River, for a long time, has been famous for folk pictures containing traditional cultural color. According to ancient books Dong Ho Painting Village has been present since the 16th century and developed through many centuries with 17 families living on picture making occupation.
4. Kim Son Sedge Village in Ninh Binh:
Kim Son Sedge Village (Kim Son District, Ninh Binh Province) is a famous trade village of growing sedge and producing sedge products. About 200 years ago, Kim Son area was a wasteland region where there were so many sedges. People coming here to make a fresh start thought of mat weaving job. Since then, Kim Son Sedge Village has taken form and developed now.
5. Ha Lung Flower Village in Hai Phong, Viet Nam:
Ha lung Flower Village (Dang Hai Ward, Hai An District, Hai Phong City) is the trade village planting flowers famous in North Vietnam and put into top 10 of the most famous flower village in Vietnam. The flower village was taken hundreds of years ago and developed in the 1980s and 1990s. In this period, whole village had 70% households growing flowers and total area of agricultural land for growing flowers was 150 ha. At that time, the village provided to every region of the country and exported to the countries of Eastern Europe.
6. Van Village Wine in Bac Giang, Vietnam:
Van Village Wine (Vietnamese: Rượu Làng Vân) is a kind of wine oldest and most famous in North Vietnam. It was born in Van Village (Yen Vien Hamlet), Van Ha Commune, Viet Yen District, Bac Giang Province. According to ancient books, the ancestor of Van Village Wine cooking occupation was Lady Nghi Dinh who brought it back Vietnam from China. Since the village has taken from the rule: every the fourth of the Lunar New Year, each family has one person going to Roc pagoda to drink blood wearing to preserve the way cooking wine not to hand down the people outside the village, even the daughters.
7. Kieu Ky Quy Gold Making Village in Hanoi:
Kieu Ky Quy Gold Making Village (Kieu Ky Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi City) is the only trade village in Vietnamese specializing in Quy Gold making (Quy Gold means Vàng Qùy in Vietnamese. It is a kind of extremely thin gold leaf). Ancient books said that Mr.Nguyen Quy Tri was the ancestor of Kieu Ky Quy Gold Making Village. He passed the contest of doctor in Le Canh Hung time (1740-1786). In 1763, he was appointed to China as an ambassador. By the way, he learned Quy Gold making occupation. When coming back to Vietnam, he handed down the profession to villagers. After he passed away, the villagers established the temple to remember him.
8. Van Lam Embroidery Village in Ninh Binh:
Van Lam Embroidery Village (located in Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District of Ninh Binh Province) is one of the most ancient and famous craft villages in North Vietnam. According to ancient books, the craft of embroidery was first carried out by Van Lam villagers in the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400), with the products made to provide to the royal palace or for decorations in temples and pagodas.
9. Cu Da Cellophane Noodle Village in Hanoi:
Cu Da Cellophane Noodle Village of Cu Khe Commune, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi City is one of the most ancient and famous craft Village in North Vietnam. Temporarily separating from noisy and busy Hanoi, We together come to a village in the countryside having tradition of making cellophane noodles for a long time – Cu Da Cellophane noodle Village, the village from the center of Hanoi 20km to the west. Located next to the Nhue River, the village stretches with the shape of fishbone with the lanes narrow and paved red brick. Every lane gate is on the bank of river, having brick terrace lasting to water’s edge. The convenient lanes help the trade of the village become easily.
10. Cao Thon Incense Making Village in Hung Yen, North Vietnam:
Offering incense is a ceremony carried out at home, temples and pagodas every day or on traditional festival occasions by Oriental countries. Incense is a bridge connecting between human being and ancestor and gods. The workshops of incense making have answered the Orientals’ need. In North Vietnam, There are many incense producing craft villages but Cao Thon Village (Bao Khe Commune, Hung Yen Town, Hung Yen City) is the most famous. Cao Thon Incense Village has had for a long time. The old men said that Lady Dao Thi Khuong, who was from Cao Thon, got married to a Chinese man and followed him to China for living. After some years, she returned to Cao Thon and taught the occupation of incense making to villagers. Since then, people here have called her ancestor of the village. In the present, Lady is worshiped in the house of ancestor worshiping of Dao family in Cao Thon Village.
