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Nestled amidst the peaceful village roads of Tuy An district, Phu Yen province, Hoa Da rice paper village emerges as a vibrant painting, where time seems to slow down to preserve traditional values. For those who have visited, Hoa Da is not only a place that produces delicious rice paper, but also a place that preserves the soul of a traditional craft village that has weathered countless ups and downs over time.
Hoa Da rice paper is evenly dried on bamboo trays, ready to offer the distinctive flavor from Phu Yen province.
The first feeling upon arriving here is one of warmth and familiarity at the rustic, simple beauty of the craft village. Everything feels so familiar, from the bamboo drying racks for cakes to the stone mills used for grinding rice.
Traditional craft villages seen through the eyes of young people.
Dang Thai Tai, a young man born and raised in Tuy An, decided to travel to his hometown to explore and document this traditional craft village. As someone who specializes in travel photography and videography, Tai arrived in Hoa Da with initial ideas about a traditional craft village. But upon seeing it firsthand, he was surprised: “Before coming to Hoa Da, I had imagined what a rice paper making workshop would be like. But when I saw it with my own eyes, I was truly overwhelmed. The space where the rice paper is made is so beautiful, even more beautiful than I imagined.”
The rice paper sheets look impressive when viewed from above.
Hoa Da, with its simple yet vibrant rice paper making workshops, gave Tai an unforgettable experience. The rice paper making process here isn't complicated, but each step requires meticulousness and skill. From selecting the rice, grinding the flour, spreading the batter, to drying the rice paper, each step is done manually. The rice flour is finely ground, spread thinly on a round copper mold, and then dried in the sun. The main ingredient is rice – the fragrant, sticky rice from Phu Yen province – which creates rice paper with a rich, traditional flavor. Hoa Da rice paper is famous for its unique stickiness and aroma, without any other flavors mixed in.
The image evokes memories of a traditional craft steeped in the flavors of the homeland.
The secret behind those delicious rice paper rolls.
Perhaps what makes Hoa Da rice paper unique is not only its flavor, but also the way the locals preserve traditional processing methods, preventing any modernization from diminishing the product's original value. For Tai, the image of the rice paper makers working under the scorching summer sun, sweat streaming down their foreheads, left a deep impression on him. "I saw the hardship involved in making these rice papers; the people of Hoa Da are truly admirable for their diligence and enthusiasm," he shared.
The craftsmen of Hoa Da village meticulously work through each step under the scorching sun.
However, Tài's concern wasn't just the hardships faced by those working in the craft, but also the reality that many tourists visiting Phu Yen focus only on famous destinations, overlooking hidden cultural values like Hoa Da rice paper village. He confided: "Very few people know about or learn about craft villages like Hoa Da, while this is where the cultural essence of Phu Yen is preserved." Tài believes that if tourists take the time to visit Hoa Da, they will discover a different Phu Yen, a Phu Yen that is not only known for its blue sea and white sand but also for its profound traditional cultural values.
Walking among the bamboo drying racks in the midday summer heat, admiring the beauty of the craft village is also a way to listen to the stories of the bakers. Stories about a traditional craft that has existed for generations, about people who diligently preserve the flavors of their homeland every day. Standing in that culturally rich space, listening to the rhythmic grinding of flour in the old stone mills, you will feel the breath of time, of the intermingling of past and present.
Visiting traditional craft villages allows you to see, understand, and appreciate the cultural values that are still being diligently kept alive every day.
Tai hopes that in the future, Hoa Da rice paper village will not fade away in the face of modernization. He hopes that the people here will continue to maintain traditional methods, not letting machines and technology destroy the unique flavor of the rice paper. "And it would be really interesting if tourists had the opportunity to understand more about how the rice paper they eat is made," Tai said.
