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Thu Hoai, currently working in the field of information technology in Hanoi. She often chooses to go to peaceful places, the countryside outside Hanoi to experience the culture of many Vietnamese craft villages. And Quang Phu Cau incense village is one of the places she has recently visited.
Thu Hoai will stand out more if she wears bright white clothes to take pictures.
Quang Phu Cau Incense Village is a beautiful check-in spot on the outskirts of Hanoi, about 35 km from the center of the capital. This destination is located in Cau Bau village, Quang Phu Cau commune, Ung Hoa district, with a history of making traditional incense sticks for more than a century.
The colorful S-shaped map appeared in Quang Phu Cau incense village, Hanoi, attracting many tourists recently.
Recently, the people of Quang Phu Cau incense village have given the craft village a new look by arranging eye-catching, colorful incense bundles, becoming a check-in spot that attracts many tourists. When visiting Quang Phu Cau incense village, visitors also have the opportunity to learn about the traditional incense production profession and take many unique and colorful photos.
The incense bundles are arranged by people to create eye-catching and colorful images.
Thu Hoai said: "I chose to travel by motorbike to enjoy the spring weather in the suburbs of Hanoi. The road is very easy, just go straight on the main road in the South of Hanoi and you will arrive. You can also choose a car or bus to get there. To visit, learn and take pictures in the incense production facility, you will have to pay 50,000 VND. For me, this cost is normal, because the uncles and aunts have to spend effort every day to arrange the incense sticks into a neat background. Arrange in the morning and clean in the afternoon, every day must repeat".
To visit, learn and take pictures in the incense production facility, you will have to pay 50,000 VND. For Thu Hoai, such a cost is normal, because the uncles and aunts here have to spend every day to arrange the incense sticks into a pretty background, arranging them in the morning and cleaning them in the afternoon, repeating every day.
Previously, the incense stick craft village mainly developed in Phu Luong Thuong village. Later, the incense making profession spread to the areas of Dao Tu, Cau Bau... turning the large Quang Phu Cau commune into a large-scale craft village. This place still shows the ancient beauty of the Northern countryside.
The bundles of incense sticks are tied together by the people in large bundles, with the tops close together and the bottoms spread out like blooming flowers. The incense in Quang Phu Cau is mainly yellow and red incense - lucky colors of the East, so it is very prominent. This place was reported by the French news agency AFP in 2019, widely promoting the beauty of traditional Vietnamese craft villages to international friends.
Incense sticks are dyed in many bright colors.
"I was quite impressed with the way the incense sticks were arranged to create an S-shaped map and a yellow star on a red background to form the Vietnamese flag. Another thing I liked about this place was that the staff prepared conical hats for visitors to borrow to take photos; as well as mirrors and combs for everyone to groom themselves before checking in. In addition, there are stairs in all four directions around the incense stick model, giving visitors many options to take photos from above, capturing the miniature incense village scene here," she said.
Quang Phu Cau produces many different types of incense. The incense maker must be very skillful, gentle and firm in the process of rolling the incense so that the powder sticks evenly to each toothpick. After the rolling process is completed, the incense will be dried in the sun to avoid mold, which will make it unusable. To create beautiful, long-lasting and pleasant-smelling incense, Quang Phu Cau people also mix in herbs to create truly high-quality bundles of incense.
Many people also compare Quang Phu Cau incense village to Thuy Xuan incense village in Hue.
Nowadays, when coming to this traditional craft village in Hanoi, tourists can also buy bundles of incense for their own use. Incense products are made from agarwood, rosewood, pine, patchouli, roses, angelica, cinnamon, mugwort, soapberry... with a distinctive aroma.
According to Thu Hoai, the best time to go is in the morning to get the most beautiful and outstanding photos.
"In my opinion, the best time to go is in the morning, when the sunrise is brilliant, and you can see the uncles and aunts arranging the incense sticks. You can also go here at any time of the year, but you should go on a weekday to avoid crowds. Among hundreds of brightly colored incense sticks, you should choose a pure white ao dai or white outfit, which will stand out in the photo but still exude a gentle look," Thu Hoai shared.
Quang Phu Cau Incense Village is one of the long-standing traditional craft villages in Hanoi that still exists and develops strongly until now. Not only does it preserve the craft village culture, but it is also a tourist attraction for visitors to Hanoi.
