Hanoi Handicraft Villages
The Hanoi vicinity boasts of several handicraft villages that are worth visiting. These villages specialize in a wide range of crafts, from making conical ‘non’ hats to producing fine lacquer wares. Vietnam’s famous handicraft villages have a deep-rooted tradition that continues to this day, and you’ll be amazed by the skill of the artisans. We encourage you to set aside at least a day of your Hanoi trip to explore these villages. If you love local arts and crafts or are on the lookout for an ideal gift or souvenir of your Vietnam journey, these villages are perfect destinations for you.
Included |
- Travel in an appropriate air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver
- Meals as mentioned in the program
- The services of an experienced English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees
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Excluded |
- Hotel in Hanoi
- Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses
- Camera fees (if any)
- Insurance
- Surcharge for peak season (Christmas and New Year)
- VAT and other taxes
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Travel by car
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Discount for larger groups is available; please contact our travel consultants at
lam@dcttravel.vn or send us inquiry through the contact form
Details
Hotel pick-up, then you’ll spend the day experiencing handicraft villages around Hanoi.
You will first visit Vu Lang sculpture village, located 20 km from the center of Hanoi, Vu Lang is a traditional sculpture village where you can find all kinds of lively and artistic sculptures that present cultural themes and different histories. Here you can learn about the manufacturing process from the wood carving stage to the gold lacquer stage and visit a workshop where craftsmen make Buddha statues from jackfruit wood.
Then you walk through Vu Lang to Canh Hoach village. This village is known for the manufacture of bird cages. As it is not a tourist village, you will find people scattered around the village who handcraft birdcage parts with passion. Stop for a short break at a lantern workshop, meet the craftsman family, and discuss the history of the village with them while having some green tea.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you continue to visit Quang Phu Cau incense-making village, Ung Hoa district, 35 kilometers from downtown Hanoi. This village is famous for its centuries of incense craftsmanship. Making incense sticks involves many steps, including cutting the bamboo, soaking the sticks in red dye, drying them outside, and producing the incense paste. On days when it is sunny, everywhere in the hamlets the pink and red incense sticks illuminate the streets making a very eye-catching scene, especially for people who love photography.
After lunch at a local restaurant, the drive will take you to a workshop in the Phùng Xá silk weaving village, located 40 kilometers South of Hanoi where you will visit Madame Thuan, a unique weaving craftswoman in the country who invented an exceptional silk weaving method “non-weaving”.
Thuan welcomes you with warmth and explains the manufacturing process of traditional silk as well as her invention of the “non-weaving” method and especially the technique of lotus fibers silk weaving. The friendly conversation with her will help you better understand the origin of her passion for silk and also the history of the profession of silkworm breeding and weaving in the village of Phùng Xá.
If you go in the summer (May-August), you will have the opportunity to participate in one of the stages of the manufacture of the lotus threads with the direct instruction of Mamame Thuan.