35 km from the center of the capital, Quang Phu Cau incense village, also known as Xa Cau incense village, is a famous check-in location located in the suburbs of Hanoi. With a traditional history of more than a century, Quang Phu Cau incense stick making village is located in Quang Phu Cau commune, Ung Hoa district, Hanoi. Up to now, Quang Phu Cau incense village still exists and has become one of the special beauties that clearly depicts the culture of the Northern Delta countryside.
With a traditional history of more than a century, Quang Phu Cau incense stick craft village is located in Quang Phu Cau commune, Ung Hoa district, Hanoi.
Previously, the incense stick making profession appeared mainly in Phu Luong Thuong village. The good news spread far and wide, and this profession gradually spread throughout Dao Tu and Cau Bau villages. No one knows since when, Quang Phu Cau commune has become one of the most prominent incense stick making villages in the suburbs of the capital. This place retains the beauty of a Northern Delta village in the past but still blends in modern features.
Having the opportunity to visit Quang Phu Cau incense village, Mr. Thanh Phong (43 years old, Hanoi) had the opportunity to directly experience the incense making process and learn about this place because he is participating in a number of projects on preserving traditional craft village culture in Vietnam.
Quang Phu Cau incense village still exists and has become one of the special beauties that clearly depicts the culture of the Northern Delta countryside.
From the first moment he stepped into the village gate, Mr. Thanh Phong seemed to feel the busy, bustling life of the people here. Following the winding path leading into the village, it is not difficult to see the image of vehicles, both primitive and modern, lining up one after another to transport bundles of incense to trade everywhere.
On sunny days, walking around the incense village, visitors will see the image of people diligently drying incense. At this time, red incense bundles like giant flowers are dried all over the yard, communal house yard and even the empty land, painting a brilliant picture against the blue sky. Somewhere in the wind is the gentle scent of incense sticks, making visitors feel more relaxed and comfortable.
The incense base is made from carefully selected raw materials.
Each person does one thing, it seems to have become a habit.
During his trip to explore Quang Phu Cau incense village, Mr. Thanh Phong had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the locals, listening to their stories about how to make complete bundles of incense. “If you want to see people drying and dyeing incense, you have to go early. To catch the early morning sun, people start dyeing incense from 5am until around 6 or 7am. Around 10am, people stop dyeing and stop dyeing. At that time, the production facilities only make incense sticks or spin incense indoors. In the afternoon, around 2pm, they will dye or dry another batch and collect the batch dried in the morning,” said Mr. Thanh Phong.
Each person has a job, it seems to have become a habit, the hands quickly split bamboo, tie toothpicks, dye, and roll incense very skillfully. Each step of making incense requires meticulousness and carefulness. The sound of splitting bamboo, tying toothpicks, the sound of sawing machines, rolling incense, the voices of small conversations mixed with the pungent scent of incense sticks have created the unique features of Quang Phu Cau incense making village.
In the past, people had to harvest bamboo by hand, but now, with machines, productivity has also increased.
The bamboo used to make incense sticks must be of the right age and undergo a careful screening process before being finished. In the past, people used to manually whittle the oil, but today, they rely on machines to increase productivity.
According to the traditional method, when rolling incense, the worker must roll it gently and firmly so that the powder sticks evenly to the incense stick. Nowadays, with modern technology, facilities have invested in machines to make this process faster, increasing productivity many times over. After rolling, the incense must be dried in the sun to avoid mold and to last a long time. Therefore, to create a complete finished product for the user, each incense stick is put with all the heart of a skilled worker.
Incense stick dyeing stage
Incense sticks after being mixed with the special formula here bring a unique and fragrant scent.
Depending on the type of incense, the craftsman will choose the appropriate materials. The materials used to make incense must be carefully selected because this profession inherently has many spiritual elements, so people do not dare to do it carelessly or carelessly. The ingredients of incense are often made from agarwood, pine, rosewood, angelica, patchouli, star anise, cinnamon, resin of the canarium tree, vetiver roots, and charcoal... With herbal ingredients, a unique blending secret, and meticulousness in each stage, Quang Phu Cau incense always has a long-lasting fragrance, durable color, and beautiful appearance.
The incense sticks of Quang Phu Cau village are large in size, with the ends close together and the bases spread out, using the main colors of yellow and red, making them very eye-catching and outstanding. This brilliant incense "forest" becomes the perfect "studio" for those who love virtual life to take countless beautiful photos.
Bamboo bundles are dried by people on sunny afternoons.
Incense sticks are bundled into large mounds with the bottom part gathered and spreading out above like a blooming flower.
Sharing with Travellive readers, Mr. Thanh Phong suggested: “There are two major tourist service locations: the communal house yard and a nearby facility. Because they do tourism, the products are arranged very beautifully, so people can easily take photos and check-in without any experience. You can also ask the uncles and aunts there to take photos for you, because they are used to this. The entrance fee is about 50,000-100,000 VND.”
“You can easily get to Quang Phu Cau village by motorbike or bus if you go from the center of Hanoi. If you like to sit on the bus and enjoy the scenery, choose bus number 91 from Yen Nghia bus station, it will be easier to get to this beautiful village,” Thanh Phong advised.
Bundles of incense sticks with a pleasant, lingering scent make many people stare in amazement.
On nice days, you can see locals arranging and drying bundles of incense sticks in their yards.
Nowadays, Quang Phu Cau incense village does not only sell products in the traditional way as before, the village's establishments have been making efforts to improve product quality, build their own brands, and apply technology to production and business. Incense sticks of Quang Phu Cau village are not only favored by Hanoi consumers but are also a familiar item in many other markets at home and abroad.
Incense sticks from Quang Phu Cau village are not only popular with Hanoi consumers but are also a familiar item in many other domestic and foreign markets.
