Visit 3 traditional craft villages that have preserved the culture of Hue for generations.

Handicrafts from traditional craft villages are not only works of art, but also bear the imprint of history, soul, and the love of the people for their land. Join Travellive on a journey to discover and learn more about the famous craft villages that have contributed to the unique culture of Hue for generations.

Sinh Village - a place that preserves a folk painting tradition over 400 years old.

Sinh Village, also known by its written name Lai An, is located on the banks of the Perfume River, near the confluence with the Bo River. It is one of the oldest villages in the Southern region of Vietnam, situated within the former imperial capital. Sinh Village is special because it is one of the few places that still preserves the traditional craft of painting. In the past, Sinh Village was a cultural hub of the capital and is frequently mentioned in the O Chau Can Luc (Records of the Ancient Capital) as a bustling trading center.

Dating back to the 15th century, Sinh Village is famous for its traditional painting craft and wrestling festival. Sinh Village paintings – a style of devotional painting that has existed for over 400 years – are a precious cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people, requiring preservation and safeguarding.

Having the opportunity to visit Sinh Village, a group of friends including Nhat Linh (19 years old, Hue City) shared: "Through the introduction of the wife of artisan Ky Huu Phuoc - the last person holding the secrets of making Sinh Village paintings - we learned that this craft has largely faded away. Partly because young people have grown up and gone to work far away, and partly because society has developed, the number of customers who appreciate this traditional type of painting is no longer large."

Each painting here depicts a distinct theme, divided into three main groups: figure paintings, animal paintings, and object paintings, including images such as farmers, women, zodiac animals, insects, and wrestling. The themes of the paintings are often inspired by the beauty of daily life, festivals, and the labor of the villagers.

Nhat Linh added: "Only after coming here did I realize that creating a complete painting requires seven stages, which is truly meticulous. Young people like us are fortunate to be born and raised in a culturally rich land, where artisans quietly preserve traditions every day. Visiting craft villages like this further cultivates my love for Vietnamese culture and my desire to spread it to more people."

Sình Village paintings not only hold significant importance in preserving and maintaining the village's famous traditional craft but also represent a part of the soul of the people of Sình Village, a spiritual heritage passed down from generations. For tourists, these paintings are not only meaningful gifts but also offer a unique cultural experience.

Tay Ho Village - the symbol of Hue's poetic conical hat.

The craft of making conical hats has existed in Hue for hundreds of years, with many villages such as Da Le, Phu Cam, Doc So, Trieu Tay, Kim Long, Sia... Among these, Tay Ho village stands out because it is the birthplace of the famous "poem hat". The village is located on the banks of the Nhu Y River, in Phu Ho commune, Phu Vang district, Thua Thien Hue province.

The residents here mainly make a living by making conical hats. The first "poem hat" was created around 1959-1960 by artisan Bui Quang Bac. Because of his love for poetry and artistic talent, he came up with the unique idea of ​​attaching poems to the hat. The sweet, poetic verses are pressed between two layers of leaves, making them very durable. Even when the hat is damaged and unusable, the people of Hue still keep it to occasionally take out and... read the poems.

To create beautiful conical hats, careful attention must be paid to the leaf selection process. The leaves must retain a light green color, and then be ironed repeatedly to make them flat and smooth. The construction and layering of the leaves is the most difficult part of the hat-making process, requiring skillful hands and high technical expertise to create a thin, delicate hat that is leak-proof, with the layers of leaves not overlapping. This stage, along with the stitching (sewing), is mainly performed by highly skilled artisans, creating soft and delicate stitches. In Tay Ho Village, only coconut and palm leaves are used to make conical hats.

Le Hoa (27 years old, Hue City), a native of Tay Ho Village, shared: "I don't know exactly when the hat-making craft originated, but since I was very young, I've been familiar with the image of my grandmother and mother sitting and weaving hats every day. The conical hat, from inside the house to the fields, was 'upgraded' with embroidered threads and gradually became a symbol of Hue tourism."

Although there are many places in Hue that produce conical hats, those from Tay Ho village have a special appeal. The hats from this village are much more charming and sell easily. But "charm" alone isn't enough; we must also mention the poems imbued with the soul, love, and character of the people of the ancient capital, and rarely do we find hats from other villages as delicate and elegant as those from this village.

That conical hat is not just a commercial product, but also a deeply cultural symbol of Hue. "And there, images like the Perfume River, Ngu Mountain, or the natural beauty of the ancient capital often appear alongside poems on the hat. Tourists often buy them as souvenirs, while for those who are far from home, looking at those images on the hat evokes a deep longing for their homeland," Le Hoa said.

Phuong Duc Bronze Casting Village - a century-old craft village with blazing fires.

Bronze casting is one of the oldest and most famous traditional crafts in Vietnam. The artisans or families involved in this craft usually live in specific areas, forming bronze casting villages. In Thua Thien Hue, the bronze casting village is located along the Perfume River, in the area from Gia Vien Bridge to Long Tho, about 3km southwest of Hue city center, and has existed for over 300 years.

The bronze casting village of Phuong Duc (also known as Duc village) was established in the early 17th century. According to the genealogical records of the Nguyen family in Kinh Nhon, the founder of the craft was Mr. Nguyen Van Luong, originally from Dong Xa village, Sieu Loai (now Bac Ninh province). Over more than 400 years, the artisans in the village have used their talent and superior techniques to create exquisite bronze products such as cups, incense burners, candlesticks, religious artifacts, and everyday items. Duc village comprises five hamlets: Truong Dong, Kinh Nhon, Bon Bo, Giang Dinh, and Giang Tien, with Kinh Nhon and Bon Bo being the two largest and most renowned bronze casting villages.

The generation of bronze casters in Hue left behind many masterpieces of heritage in the tangible cultural treasury, from the Buddha statues at Linh Son Pagoda (Da Nang), Nha Trang Buddhist Institute, the bronze cauldron at the Imperial Citadel (1659-1684), the bell of Thien Mu Pagoda (1710), the Nine Tripods placed in front of The Mieu Temple (1835-1804), the Nine Divine Cannons placed in front of Ngo Mon Gate (1803-1804), the bell of Dieu De Pagoda (1846) and many other bronze worship items from "inside the palace to outside the palace" in Hue.

Nowadays, products from the bronze casting village are popular because, with improved living standards, owning a bronze altar set is no longer economically difficult. At the same time, artisans have transformed seemingly ordinary products into exquisite works of art for home decoration. Generations of bronze casting artisans have created highly sophisticated bronze products with high artistic value and many unique designs.

For Duc Village, it is a source of pride for many generations, carrying within it the mission of preserving over 400 years of development. Over time, Duc Village has left a strong mark on the culture of the ancient capital. Tourists come here not only to visit famous historical sites, but also have the opportunity to explore Duc Village with its interesting characteristics.

Ha Mai Trinh - Photo: Compilation