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"Our homeland, where rice crackers and rice cakes are made, where fragrant meadows and green fields yield sweet fruits" - these lines from the song "Returning Home" by composer Pho Duc Phuong vividly portray the image of Du Dai village, Dong Hai commune, Thai Binh province in the past. Now part of Quynh An commune, Hung Yen province, Du Dai is a traditional rice cracker making village with a history of over half a century.
As a native of the old Thai Binh province, photographer Nguyen Trong Cung returned to Du Dai village on a summer morning. His lens captured the bustling rhythm of life in the craft village, where the early morning sunlight shone through the drying racks of cakes, and where each piece of cake was like a small map, depicting the life of a rural area.
The roads in Du Dai village are covered with woven rice paper mats.
The essence comes from rice flour and the hearth.
The village of Dụ Đại began making rice paper in the 1960s, initially on a small scale, serving only family consumption or local markets. Over time, demand increased, and many households became long-term involved and expanded their production. Today, the entire commune has 141 households engaged in the craft, with Dụ Đại village alone boasting 53 regularly operating production lines, becoming one of the rare bright spots in Northern Vietnam where this traditional craft has maintained its enduring rhythm.
Du Dai rice paper village is one of the rare traditional craft villages in Northern Vietnam that has maintained its enduring tradition.
In the technological transformation of the rural areas of the Northern Delta, modern machinery has intervened in some stages such as coating, drying, and packaging, but the soul of the craft still lies in the hands of the people.
The rice crackers are handcrafted from fragrant rice, soaked thoroughly, ground using a stone mortar, spread thinly, and then dried in the sun. Afterward, the artisans flatten them again and cut them into thin strips about 0.3 cm thick. Made from pure rice, without additives or artificial colors, and baked over charcoal, these crackers have an aroma reminiscent of old kitchens. It is this simplicity that creates the unique and irreplaceable identity of Dụ Đại rice crackers.
Today, despite the support of modern machinery and technology, the essential elements of making Du Dai rice crackers still lie in the hands of human hands.
Flavors associated with childhood memories.
Dụ Đại rice noodles are an indispensable ingredient in the famous Quỳnh Côi fish soup from Thái Bình province. When cooked, the noodles change from translucent white to pure white, becoming both soft and chewy with a slight crispness, maintaining their firmness without becoming mushy or breaking. When added to a bowl of snakehead fish soup with broth simmered from bones, the noodles absorb the sweet and savory flavor and the aroma of local rice, creating a perfect blend of the fish, broth, and noodles, making the dish richer and more distinctive, as described by photographer Nguyễn Trọng Cung.
Dụ Đại rice paper is not only an ingredient but also a source of pride for the generations-old traditional craft of the people of Đông Hải, formerly Quỳnh Phụ. "Each thin strand of rice paper, though delicate, contains the dedication, memories, and flavors of our rice-growing homeland, contributing to keeping the soul of Quỳnh Côi fish soup authentic and alive through time," Mr. Cung shared.
The rice noodles from Dụ Đại contribute to the unique flavor of Quỳnh Côi fish soup, a local specialty.
In Du Dai, the morning is when the traditional craft village is most vividly displayed. From the small alleys, the fragrant aroma of rice flour wafts through the air, and the low hum of the milling machines becomes a familiar sound at the start of the day. Along the fences, freshly made rice cakes are laid out at an angle, neatly arranged to catch the sunlight.
This is where children grow up beside the drying racks of rice paper, where the elderly still skillfully make rice paper, and where middle-aged women become the pillars preserving the rhythm of the craft through each stage. Each house is a cornerstone, where rice paper is not only made but also passed down.
These fragrant white rice crackers are associated with the childhood memories of the people of Du Dai village.
Memories of bustling harvest seasons
Just like rice in the fields has its harvest season, the rice cracker making craft also has its own seasonal cycle. The last months of the year are the peak season in Du Dai, when orders from provinces and cities pour in to serve the Tet holiday. The whole village seems to join in the whirlwind of mills covered in white rice flour, ovens blazing with fire, and yards full of freshly made rice crackers drying in the sun. "Visiting the villagers to see how the rickshaw drivers make the crackers, you really understand the hard work and toil of these purely manual laborers," Mr. Cung said.
It's not just a season of money, but also a season of memories – a time when everyone recalls Tet celebrations of the past around the stove, the trucks loaded with goods traveling far and wide, and the village festivals when rice crackers were considered a local delicacy brought to the big market.
Making rice crackers is seasonal, just like farming; the end of the year is when the whole village is busy making them.
Despite facing pressures from technology, young workers leaving the village, and changing consumer tastes, the rice cracker making craft in Du Dai has maintained its position. Many households have boldly invested in modern drying machines and electric ovens to produce year-round, ensuring hygiene and meeting new market demands. Some establishments have launched their products on e-commerce platforms (Tiki, Lazada, Shopee) and sold them in supermarkets and at consumer fairs. The Quynh Coi rice cracker brand from Du Dai has also received OCOP 4-star certification since 2020 and has invested heavily in improving packaging and brand promotion.
From traditional craft villages to experiential spaces
Beyond just production, Du Dai today welcomes tourists with hands-on experiences in making rice paper. Visitors can soak the rice, spread the batter, dry the rice paper, and bake it right on the spot. These are familiar steps for the villagers, but for city dwellers, they are a novel and fascinating experience.
The rustic charm of the village is its advantage. It doesn't need a dazzling "check-in" photo-worthy outdoor space or a grand eco-tourism resort; Dụ Đại still attracts visitors with the aroma of freshly baked bread, the stories of its artisans, and the quiet yet cohesive atmosphere of their work.
There's no need for flashy photo opportunities; the charm of the Dụ Đại rice paper making village comes from its rustic, down-to-earth nature and the quiet dedication of its villagers to their craft.
Located not far from the former Quỳnh Phụ district center and near spiritual destinations such as Keo Pagoda and Đồng Bằng Temple, Dụ Đại has many advantages for developing a tourism model combining traditional crafts in short-day tours. It could become an emotionally enriching stop for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of rural life in Northern Vietnam, not just through the lens, but also through their sense of smell, taste, and direct experience of the daily life and traditional crafts.
Nguyen Trong Cung chose Du Dai to recount a part of his memories of his old hometown in Thai Binh. But perhaps, everyone who comes here, whether they have a camera or not, can retain a fragment of memory: the sunlight shining through the still-fragrant rice cakes, the laughter of the old craftsman by the glowing charcoal stove, the aroma of freshly cooked rice wafting through the warm air. A very small slice, but enough to make people remember forever a village that has never stopped burning the fire to preserve its traditional craft.
