Take a close look around Hoi An Ancient Town, and you’ll see much of its beauty comes from small touches that adorn the ancient houses and temples. This fine work comes from craft villages surrounding Hoi An.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An was a favorite trading port for merchants from China, India, Egypt, and other countries along the Maritime Silk Route. Craftsmen from other parts of Vietnam settled along the Thu Bon River and supplied products for the town of Hoi An. Their work was soon sought by the Nguyen Kings for palaces and tombs in Hue, and by foreign merchants who bought everything from sumptuous silks to delicate ceramics to sell overseas.
Quang Nam’s artisans learned to merge Vietnamese styles with other traditions to meet demand from foreign buyers, and became famous for their workmanship. If you’re interested in Vietnamese culture and arts, here are four craft villages to visit in Quang Nam.
Phuoc Kieu bronze casting village
Since the early 17th century, families in Phuoc Kieu have been famous for casting bronze weapons, musical instruments, and decorative items such as the large metal urns in the Hue Citadel. There are still a dozen family-run workshops that specialize in high-quality bells, urns, and gongs. When you visit you’ll see gongs and other bronze pieces in various stages of completion. Be sure to go with a local guide so you can talk to the bronze casters about their craft.
Duy Trinh silk weaving village
The village of Duy Trinh played an important role in Hoi An’s fame as a supplier of luxurious silks in Asia. More than 160 hectares here in Duy Xuyen district were once planted in mulberry trees. Women from Duy Trinh were experts in growing and harvesting silkworms for the fine threads of their cocoons, and weaving them by hand into lustrous fabrics worn by mandarins and wealthy merchants in the Ancient Town. Visit together with a local guide to learn all about the step-by-step process of making natural silk.
Thanh Ha pottery village
Thanh Ha has a rich tradition of clay pottery that goes back more than 500 years. This hamlet is where tiles were made for the roofs of bridges and shophouses in the Ancient Town. The village’s location along the river was first chosen by potters who moved from Thanh Hoa Province in the north of Vietnam. Multi-generational families of potters have given Thanh Ha a reputation for wonderful, intricate pottery. See the stages of pottery on a walk through the village, and try your hand at shaping a bowl or vase on a traditional foot-powered wheel.
TIP: If you love ceramics, be sure to check out the Thanh Ha Terracotta Park and Museum for a full picture of pottery villages in Vietnam.
Kim Bong wood carving village
Over the bridge from Hoi An, Kim Bong is 600 years old – Hoi An’s oldest craft village. You know you’re at the right place when you hear the steady thwack thwack of dozens of chisels. Step inside Kim Bong’s time-honored wood workshops to watch artisans crafting everything from religious images and decorative statues to furniture and birdcages. The craftsmen inlay mother-of-pearl and work the natural features of the wood, from grain to roots, into the final product. The wood pillars, carvings, and furniture you see in Hoi An’s historic homes were made by Kim Bong’s long lines of carpenters and wood carvers.
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