Hoi An is located in Quang Nam province, Central Vietnam. It was one of the busiest trading ports in Southeast Asia from the 16th century to the end of the 18th century. Since the early 19th century trade activities have become rare. The famous commercial port gradually went into nostalgia. In the early 1990s, Hoi An began to attract tourists’ attention by unique beauty of an old trading port. After that, Hoi An honorably became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Although Hoi An has changed over time, its valuable traditions are well-preserved. There are many traditional craft villages around Hoi An that is the clearest evidence. In this article, we are going to find out “the top 5 traditional craft villages” that travelers must visit in Hoi An.
Cẩm Thanh fishing village (the coconut village)
(Photo: Instagram)
Cam Thanh village which is about 3 km away from Hoi An is a large garden of water coconut. This coconut garden has been around for 200 years. The coconut trees originally came from the Mekong Delta, Southern Vietnam which then proliferated into a large garden. Initially, the garden was first about 7 hectares, that’s why local people named it “the seven-acre coconut garden”. Although the garden has expanded to 100 hectares, people retain the original name of “the seven-acre coconut garden” familiar to locals and travelers to Hoi An.
Trà Quế vegetable village
(Photo: Internet)
Located about 3 km from the center of Hoi An to the Northwest and about 20 km from Da Nang City to the South. Tra Que Vegetable Village now has 220 households engaged in agriculture, of which 130 households specialize in rotation vegetables over 40 hectares. The village has been famous for having over 20 types of vegetables and herbs. Especially, many kinds of vegetables that are nowhere near as delicious as basil, Thai basil, perilla, etc.
Kim Bồng carpentry village
Kim Bồng (Kim Bồng) carpentry village is a village located in Cam Kim commune, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province. The village is the most notable for its carpentry (including cabinet making and shipbuilding) and traditional woodworking products. Established in the 15th century, it reached its peak in the 18th century, during which time village craftsmen contributed their skills in woodworking to many different projects, including the Imperial palace in Hue. Using their shipbuilding skills, they supplied ships and “ghe bau” (large boats used for sailing) for the activities of the busy commercial port of Hoi An.
In addition, the village’s name comes from the Vietnamese Kim (yellow) and Bong (floating), supposedly after the jackfruit wood that sometimes floats on the Thu Bon River.
Thanh Hà pottery village
(Photo: Internet)
Thanh Ha pottery village has a 500-year history of development. But at one point it was forgotten that Thanh Ha had a very unique pottery. But with the enthusiasm of the elderly in the village, Thanh Ha pottery gradually recovered.
Located 3 km from Hoi An to the West. Thanh Ha was a very famous village of pottery and terracotta exchanged and wholesale throughout the central Vietnam from 16th to 17th century. However, Thanh Ha pottery originated from Thanh Hoa province.
Phước Kiều bronze casting village
Phuoc Kieu bronze casting village is one of the famous traditional villages in Quang Nam. The village located a 30-minute drive to the west of Hoi An.
According to historical records, the village was formed in the sixteenth century. Mr. Duong Khong Lo, a native of De Kieu commune, Lang Son province, came to Dien Ban to declare 10 acres of wasteland to do bronze casting and renamed Phuoc Kieu village. And since then, the craft village has continuously developed to this day.
(Justin Ngoc Pham)
