Thu Hong bamboo - Northern village characteristics

The ancients have a saying:
"Bat Trang pottery
Van Phuc silk village
Thu Hong bamboo
Ngu Xa cast bronze ... "

Ever since ancient fishing reminiscent of the land to the village famous. Everyone knows that Bat Trang pottery, Van Phuc silk, Ngu Xa casting but  knew about the village of Thu Hong bamboo - a quiet village, the peaceful winding Ca Lo river.

This ancient village is the village of Thu Thuy, Xuan Thu commune, Soc Son district, near Ca Lo river flow to Cau river, confluence Xa which highway 16 runs through. This is a riverside village, Thu Hong hidden under bamboo dust, specific trait of the Northern village.

With terrain, that villagers living along Ca Lo river, make a raft, pull hoof livelihood. Previously, hundreds of households employed bamboo small village became vibrant with the sound of sawing, carve, cut  ...

Legend, the past two brothers, Truong Hong, Truong Hat are the property of the Viet Vuong Trieu Quang Phuc. When the time of birth, two by helping Trieu Viet Vuong up many famous victories, has suicide on  Nhu Nguyet river to show loyalty.

To commemorate the merits of the 2 Army general, people in villages along the river up the temple. By the time of King Le Hien Tong had to confer a little on Thu Hong village worship two talented generals to the tutelary spirit. Every year on September 12th lunar month, villagers Thu Hong open meeting, palanquin mass, sacrifice.

That day, villages side dyke throughout the year only rice plant, there is nothing to build  temple worship tutelary spirit. Around the village when it should only bamboo then people of village make temple from availability of this material.

Over the years, eventually they do all things in the house are using bamboo from the basket to the table, chairs, settee, bamboo bed, bamboo bench. Initially, these products only for their daily needs in the family, rather than being seen as a commodity.

However, under the skillful hands, creative of Thu Hong people , the products made from bamboo that is popular around people, become commodities without noticing it. Bamboo in the village is not enough, people may be moving bamboo from another area.

To create a perfect bamboo products, artisans are very skillful , have aesthetic eye. Stages to find suitable materials are also very meticulous. Looking beautiful bamboo, people must buy in Hai Duong, Bac Kan, or to buy the bamboo village get the tree to the different products.

With bamboo, workers get body of bamboo to make the foot of the bed, bamboo bench, chairs. Hand bamboo made handicrafts, han script Chinese character, decorative chairs, bamboo splint bench, bamboo splint of bed, foot of bamboo make statue as the Phuc, Loc, Tho ...

With skillful hands and the virtues of diligence, hard work, the product of the artisans village but simple but strong, durable and beautiful. The villagers are very bright apprenticeship. It looks like dexterity, meticulous ingrained into the people of Hong Thu, transmitted from generation through generation.

Village live with career, women as well as career. Therefore, the name Thu Hong famous, comparable to Bat Trang pottery, Van Phuc silk ... So, where is still sentence, "Wood by craftsmen of Me, bamboo by Hong's artisan "

Indeed, the village artisans bamboo craft Thu Hong has been no one to imitate. They have hand-carved bamboo sharp, just sure not  broken. Technical perforate, perforated holes to plug in another bar is very durable but not broken perforate hole. It is the experience of many generations passed , is the quintessence of many years with training. In resistance, the bamboo wall by Thu Hong follow the soldiers in any war.

 Like many other villages in Thang Long, with more than 300 years of existence, Thu Hong bamboo village has gone through many ups and downs. Having seemingly lost in ablivion, especially after the village name Thu Thuy.

 

Each village in the North are hidden behind bamboo village. Bamboo was very close and familiar. People can't not excluded bamboo products out of life. With features simple, rustic bring traditional line, bamboo products of the ancient village of Thu Hong is now alive, enjoy in the bustling street life, or peaceful in idyllic place.

With policy recovery of traditional villages of the government, many villages had awakening after a long sleep. Thu Hong bamboo too.

Now, if you go to the village, you can see the artisans have a passion for carve on slender, supple bamboo body. Confidential heart is strength to maintain and develop traditional trade villages.

Chang Son village - the famous village make traditional fan in Hanoi

Mention the traditional trade make paper fans, people often mention Ke Vac village or called Canh Hoach village, Dan Hoa commune, Thanh Oai district, Hanoi. But there's a village make fans well-known no less that is the Chang Son village.

 

Chang Son village which is a famous traditional trade villages in Ha Tay province now in Chang Son commune, Thach That district, Hanoi. People of Chang Son is also famous for the "a hundred trades" and trade make fan is one of the many famous trade of the village.

Trade make fan of Chang Son has had hundreds of years. From the 19th century, Chang Son fans are famous at home and abroad. French had brought Chang Son  fans many times cross ocean to Paris exhibition. History also record that fans who do well at the village was ordained Ba Ho (the high rank for village authorities or rich people in feudal).

Chang Son people usually take advantage to make  fans on the farm at leisure after harvest time. Before the Lunar New Year is that everything has been available for convenient spare time they do. Profession fan but not too arduous, difficult, but requires the demand sophisticated, meticulous to the extremely stylish.

 
To get desire fan, artisans who spend a lot of work to choose from each bamboo tube make blade of a  fan, every rattan fiber make edges and quire of paper for propeller. Bamboo must be flexible, old aged from three years, no termites eaten then blade of a fan will be durable, beautiful. Bamboo cut pipes, shaved green cover, use knife separated bamboo splints, add paint between two bamboo. After that, the bamboo was bundled several months until the new paint dry that sharpen to blade of a fan. Rattan fiber have shining, smooth, long after weaving not together multiple stages.

Paper make fans is  Do paper get buy Dong Ho (Bac Ninh). When making paper for blade of a fan to be clever, meticulously, so that the paper being crumpled, flat folds, steady and convenient for painting work.

 

When painting, the artist's most difficult is the standard fold between blade of a fan. Must be carefully calculated so that when completed, folding fans do not affect competition, the folds are in the right space, not cutting people or cutting objects. If cases are required to cut, then the talent of the artist is to create links so that viewers do not know which material cut without use hands touch the fan. When the fan stage to completion, the artist will paint the glossy paint on fan to keep bright, durable.

Not only has high artistic value that each fan in Chang Son also brought her a sense of philosophical history and sustainability. Fans can make a charming object on the hands young woman, gentlemen in the special occasions or the unique art painting on the wall for decoration.

Whether wall mounted or portable, fans are still well up from a beautiful soft, seductive texture from the photo between the fan. The more fans than impressed by the silk material iridescent royal color, the still shimmering blend with the natural textures are engraving above. Each figure represents the fans as the famous landscapes of the country and the story of the ancient history of the area a national hero ... you can say, fans of Chang Son is the essence of convergence of all land of sun and people of Vietnam.

 

Chang Son today is very different too. The fans of Chang Son has transoceanic exported to Japan and Korea both models, types and styles varied. Not only do the paper fans, bamboo tape fans that Chang Son who also produced the The fan, silk fan with more the size, separately picture fans have size many meter. Silk fan sell for art troupes, festivals, tourist firms, the international tourists.

Superior fans paintings used to decorate the wall offers a space characterized ancient, popular. The names of the artists as Mo Duong Van, Lan Nguyen Duc, Tuyet Nguyen Lan, Doan Duong Van  ... no one is not known. Especially  Mo Duong Van artists, who has made a fan record in Vietnam, long 9 meters, high 4.5 m, drawing rural market of Hanoi follow sample Hang Trong paintings form displayed at Tet flower street and festival traditional villages and held in Hue in June 2009.

Trade make fans do not just offer high-income people but also an important part in preserving and promoting traditional craft villages a long and promoting Vietnamese culture with friends in the country.

This country has great change one's look, human life has become increasingly advanced, though not without the modern means of cooling as air conditioners, electric fans, rock fans but tradition fans still have a of great significance important. It is both an affirmation of life of a traditional village, has brought a beautiful rural culture characterized ancient. Images of old people sitting waving a paper fan or Nan fan under shade trees or gable reminds us think to a village of peaceful, quiet, feeling cool the body by familiar fans.

Ngoc Ha flower village - a famous floriculture in Hanoi

Ngoc Ha is flowers village. Regarding to the floriculture, providing flowers for Hanoi to mentioning Ngoc Ha village the first, then to the village Huu Tiep, Dai Yen ... This village form long time ago ... Ancient books have recorded the last time Tran dynasty, Tran Chau general bring about Thang Long in 1526, has garrison troops in Hoang Hoa maket.
French time of the Ngoc Ha village flower very famous. It is not growing peach blossom as Nghi Tam, Quang Ba, Nhat Tan village, but is the flower of the year, during the month ... Roses, daisy, violet, gladious, butterflies, especially with lilies and Phăng flower (carnation) more ...

Often the morning, elegant the girls , first round wire chit tissue, mailed death, that is blue, the buff slippers, crooked deal as girls go Huong pagodas throughout the poet by Nguyen Nhuoc Phap , gently to carry flower into town.

Through the Western city, and old street, other city people, they sell flowers, often for the French official, Vietnam official, the ancient trading city ... Many of her acquaintances in the sale of Dong Xuan market, the Hom maket, or delivery of goods to shops selling flowers here ...

Specifically, the fifteenth of the lunar month, the first of the month, they often the goods harden for acquaintances. Packages are also flowers in the package is Rong- Dieng leaf, scroll or break square or round corner, forced by a bamboo string very thin and then suspended door at each home.

In the package also has flowers roses, Ylang ylang, magnolia and few flowers flower branch wood fibers or flowers ... just enough out in a small disk, with mediation perfume  incense insurgent spirit of Buddha and the first months or midway months ...
Flowers that the village is also where elegant boys than girls , is the time to convert each other, put together to visit, then purchase the gift a dozen beautiful roses bloom best, or ask a gladiolus for a wedding soon to ...

After this, the land of rare ... People sell the garden, field grown flowers, even fill pond then flowers beautiful ancient village hours only memories in the elderly. Ngoc Ha minutes remaining only a short side street outside the garden Bach Thao, the first Tay Son street, where a small market, also named Ngoc Ha market. Ngoc Ha Street not long to four, five hundred meters ...
Top of Ngoc Ha street is a one home to worship Huyen Thien Hac De, one to hold the northern communes. Ngoc Ha is also the vestiges of history. On 5-12-1898, the Ngoc Ha has with Nhue, Vong, Cot insurgent army, according to Nguyen Thanh and Nguyen Quang Hoan, occupy France military post in Ngoc Ha.
After the National resistance day, 20-12-1946 night, to self-defend the neighborhood and defend one's country make an ambush this military post again, break through french's plan attacks to expand the western city ...
In 12 day Dien Bien Phu in air, a part of the B52 was exposed at the sides of the lake in the Ngoc Ha village.

Van Phuc silk village - a famous trade village in Hanoi

As the silk weaving village of silk remotely famous is the ancient Nhue river of Ha Dong town.
Silk textile industry from the distant past of Vietnam .From 15 centuries, silk Vietnam leg of the merchant vessel to go to the visitors in nearly four remote communities. Silk textile industry in Vietnam is in many places, but can not say no to Van Phuc - an area the silk weaving craft long and celebrated in Vietnam.
“You come to Van Phuc with me
Silk clothing you wear elegant.”
Go to Van Phuc today, the first new village we hear all the silk and textile encountered an exciting atmosphere, the load of shops introduced Van Phuc village is set immediately with the first village colorful small cymbals . Van Phuc silk durable beautiful, to put on body that will find soft and gentle. The characteristic features and unique way is because sometimes the hand dexterity, the training, the people of Van Phuc.
Legend, Ms. La Thi Nga, a village girl, from Cao Bien made governor for my country. She has brought to the job with a textile raw product is silk russet, common. Later, she was a Royal citadel village. Go since the retina (16 centuries) Van Phuc textile trade is improving, developing strong and got a lot of unique, high quality as brocade, silk, gauze, ... with many lively, fine.

Until a host of Zac-ca, for the textile, silk, flowers are not easy, requiring people to Van Phuc research, explore, experiment more.

Who painted beautiful flowers, flower smart business, the textile goods to the same beautiful flowers real customers very popular, not weaving in time to sell. With flowers on the set, drawing any flower, what's, what word artists are Van Phuc do.

Before, until a server that Zac-camachine , Van Phuc artists phases flowers and flowers are the training and refinement. Currently, computer Zac-ca is only set of flowers with perforation-tone metal hook to pull up the flowers go, is still the principle set by the flowers of my money from hundreds of years, not only is someone pulling flowers same.
To create products Silk excellent, the Van Phuc operator has a process engineering complex includes many stages as I sew, sew a thread, sew textiles, dyeing stages. Each stage must be conducted in accordance with the regulations are quite stringent

Today, Van Phuc silk through generations, the artisans and textile workers have been constantly improved, advanced production techniques. By that, Van Phuc silk project in any category also reached the smooth, with soft colors that he, on the fine lines in the sunk, has elegant type, has brilliantly.

Over the generations, Van Phuc silk always kept the art of tradition. State, always decorated with matching, decorative street features plain, but always complex and anti-free mineral, final. Therefore, Van Phuc silk is not only popular in countries that have beyond the territory of Vietnam to the hands of the four trendy.

Vong village - a famous trade village in Hanoi

Vong village

Belong Dich Vong Ward, Cau Giay district, center of Hanoi about 8km to the northwest.

Vong Village includes the villages: Vong Tien,Vong Hau,Vong So,Vong Trung but only two villages: Vong Hau and Vong So make delicious Cốm.
Come to Hanoi, who do not remember a famous appetite present that tender rice . The first gift has just recently that gracious called "Cốm of Vong village”
The early autumn, walking in the area we see sweet growing rice break season alternating with grass smell, smell of home. Village people go round and break the rice for 24 hours to hand in the processing of the paddy seeds to Cốm.Making Com is not simple. Method of communication is always confidential: only the parents transmitted to the son, not to most people for the daughter because when you go get her husband's daughter will bring method to cook the other.
Talk about how make Cốm, of course many areas of the country that must recognize that no where do seeds cốm flexible and delicious in the Vong villages. People of Vong village who cook very elaborately. Type rice snow rise seeds that type make Com.There are many types: sticky fat varieties, Japanese sticky, flowers yellow sticky, sticky stations first, then ... Rice's daughter and then exposed to color. Then wait to ensure the rice grains (but is certainly green, not red, yellow) on the cut. Rice cutting on absolute or may not be beating, but pluck to golden paddy seeds leave. People that: secrets of the time with cốm take in the island said. All skill plus experience helped traditional village for cốm Vong very flexible, always have a fire, especially wood heater must be first special wood not used to wood or wood straw spots. The consequent need to lastly mirror light, thoroughly; pestle is not too heavy, which is all hands must not be delayed because cốm calming.

Making cốm

After completed, it will take to improve in the light most seeds cốm (cốm is the first fork). While the second cốm cốm is often all but three is not to complete the food is right, need to go through a stage is a more.
They get the rise seeding grind , socialize with water make a product green color and leaves them to cốm true for all hands. Once they finished, com is in a very thin piece of the banana leaves or lotus leaves and then assigned to bins load going to sell. Blue natural cốm plus artificial blue as a blue village for cốm Loop. Com village with a very thin, and the number of hands is appeased for the flavor of the rice.

Making cốm

Making cốm industry is very hard, a late, two early. The girls soon every Vong village the full Com load for sale. Com Vong cosset be sold from the hands pair of her village by village women as the salty, aromatic flavor com.
To enjoy the full flavor of cốm we must eat com, not include anythings. And not cốm have long been a popular food can not be lacking. In addition to eat, people still processing cốm many other dishes. First cốm itself. Cốm because a food may not be long to think of how compressed cốm, not to cốm landmark but still flexible and delicious.

Cốm

After this, people do the pie, grilled job media has thought out and a cốm grilled (pig grilled with cốm) eat dust, fat and fragrant. It is said that father cốm time to eat hot new enjoy the taste of it.

Bat Trang Pottery Village - A famous trade village in Vietnam

According to legend, the village of Bo Bat (Thanh Hoa) from the Ly, the Thang Long in the Bat Trang pottery ward along Red river.

First, the village is named Bach Tho Phuong, and then change the name of Bat Trang Ward, open a new later called Bat Trang. Pottery career here was prosperous from the Ly, Tran dynasty. According to the address of Nguyen Trai has noted: "Bat Trang village potter. Hue Cau village dye cloth ....". and "Bat Trang appertain Gia Lam district - Hue Cau appertain Van Giang district, two villages that supply it with state China is seventy of porcelain bowls, two plates and add hundreds of ..." .

A long time, Bat Trang pottery is export value. Surveys by the neck, is now the Ly, Tran dynasty, the Bat Trang has been exported to many places such as Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Portugal, France ... Dug through the port in Van Don (Quang Ninh), Hien stress (Hung Yen )..., we also met many kind Bat Trang ceramics.

Pottery items gem glaze, orchids glaze, solid men of Bat Trang is special. Such as bowls, dishes, monitor, pots, candlestick ... Bat Trang's past from a special style, and not with pottery as Tho Ha, Phu Lang, Huong Canh ...

From the remote past until today, Bat Trang is still hundreds of ceramic stove smoke release. Living labor commercial production here, from the life, always exciting. River station, boat crowded friend carrying coal, wood, clay is the raw material production to Bat Trang. The same boat in a series of product Bat Trang pottery from other nearby provinces, provincial distance. At the village, in any lane or hamlet , are found to enable all the employees, the mouse's, a glaze, transfer the product to the furnace, a grate.
Products rich pottery are presented in this house, the other hourse, this lane, other lane . Bat Trang is a manual of my most exciting of Thang Long ancient and present.

Villages are located along rivers, source of distasteful here to go exploring from Son Tay, Phuc Yen, Dong Trieu . Clay sources in Ho Lao, Truc Thon very good, white clay, smooth, under high temperature. Just say the individual processing clay for ceramics in Bat Trang have seen very elaborately. Carry on clay, because the system dipping tank containing filter tank. Clay is soaked in water for a few months of separation, to level nine, to it, fine in a tank containing, removing the filter down polished tank, filter that organic substances in the un-hot. Section clay fine, clean to deposit been transferred to the exposure tank. To here, white clay, smooth, viscidity as rice powder, bring new production on the pottery.

Tool production of furnaces include the table is turning. Talk to rotate the selected land, the workers sit , stamp table legs rotate, each hand to let the land, mouse over the comments into the bottle, bowl, plate. Mechanic's language as if they do manually, so that the products have the same high, as have to bury campus. Tomorrow this industry as very fine clay, and then pouring the gypsum mold to create the rustic ceramic products, is a network technology with ceramic village. Currently, the number of rows in ceramic hand mouse Bat Trang is maintained, but less. Most goods pouring molds, so create a high capacity for village hamlet. When pottery is wood dried, passed through the paint and glaze. Operator Bat Trang pottery has hand painted flowers, flowers leaves, birds, the material to decorate pottery on it increased beauty. Bat Trang pottery men this past rated the best in comparison with the other pottery in our country. Gem glaze, flowers glaze, solid glaze ... were the culture in Bat Trang. Secret phase glaze here do not easily pottery workers elsewhere are clones.
Through each of the producers, the workers Bat Trang improvements created different type of pottery kiln appropriate. From traditional style fireplace stove is ancient frog, to link, elected furnace, box furnace ... each kiln to suit each different product. Materials burn in furnace also changed according to each period. From the burning furnace with dry grass, then the wood, coal, is burning furnace experiments with electricity, by gas, has gradually improved product quality and lowering cost.
Today, techniques have been applied in many phases of pottery production, but private business is still burning stove to keep many faiths. Time burning furnace, come out the furnace, is the holy with pottery workers. Burn furnace technical decision quality pottery.
The ancient fork song said of Bat Trang bricks, those bricks which are classified as current in the furnace. As is made from good quality clay is in the bottle burn are ripe, so the Bat Trang bricks on very ancient swallowing, aged nine. Bat Trang Ceramic ancient usually for house construction, building pagodas, the turn shore wells, the village pond. The good bricks, ceiling construction, under the rainy and dry years, no fog, not erode, technical know enough of how the pottery workers.

The life of the eldest man in Red River’s floating village

Born and bred in Thailand, the oldest man in the Red River’s floating hamlet lives on a simple and deteriorating boat in the dry season.

 

 

For the last decade, Mr. Vu Dinh Bai, 77, and his wife has been living in a small boat, which is enough for a sedge mat, a wardrobe and a kitchen. The life of Bai’s family and 16 other families in this floating village has been affected by the drought.

 

 

Bai said his family owned a small house in Hanoi over ten years ago. “It is our fate to live on this boat,” he commented.

 

He sold the house for 45 million dong (around $3000-4000) to pay hospital fees and buy this boat. His two sons have become drug addicts.

 

 
 

Bai and his wife live on this boat. The woman collects plastic bags and paper for her husband to clean to sell. This is the only source of income for this family.

 

 
 

Bai was born in Thailand. “My mother is over 100 years old and she still lives in a pagoda in Thailand. I dream of having some money to visit her,” he remarked.

 

 
 

The old couple earns over 1 million dong from collecting plastic bags and waste paper a month.

 

 
 

When his wife goes out to collect waste, he stays at home with some dogs.

 

 

Their life is affected by the Red River’s water exhaustion. “When the water is high, I can catch some fish,” he explained.

 

 

A corner in the boat, which is used as a kitchen.

 

   

Bai showed his certificate of automobile repair skills.

 

Bai’s wife has to buy a jar of clean water each day. The couple has to pay several thousand dong for clean water every month.

Hoi Ky Village: a window into Vietnam’s past

Nestled along the romantic O Lau River in north-central Quang Tri Province, the 500-year-old village of Hoi Ky remains a national treasure of Vietnamese heritage.

The small community, situated in Hai Chanh commune, was once home to 60 households along the riverbank. Courtyards shaded by banyan trees created a nostalgia for residents, reminding them of a time when their ancestors founded the new land. 

 

 The antique house built in T-shape is 121 years old.

But as the centuries passed, the little village was subjected to the ravages of war and little was done to preserve its unique character. While it continued to stand, signs of dilapidation increased. Later, as the country began to recover from the devastation of war times, new businesses moved into the area, looking to raze much of what was left of the old village.

Today, the very existence of the ancient homes is in jeopardy and local officials say that more preservation efforts are urgently needed to save this precious part of Vietnam’s history.