Van Phuc is a little charming village, well-known for the traditional silk-making occupations and related products. Apart from the famous handicraft, the peaceful sightseeing, along with the welcoming villagers would definitely be a not miss destination in Hanoi.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
1. Location
Van Phuc Silk Village, also known as Ha Dong Silk Village ( Van Phuc Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi) is a long-standing traditional village of weaving and regarding silk. Van Phuc has become the symbol of Ha Dong people as it is home to the banyans trees, along with Village Gate, wells, tailors and artisans family.
The village is about 10 kilometers from the center of Hanoi, located on the side of Nhue River, you could reach the Van Phu by motorbike from Hanoi center to Nguyen Trai Street, to Le Van Luong and to To Huu Street.
2. History
For such a long time, silk, ivory and rhinoceros horns were considered as stellar commodities, thus, their prices were prohibitive and most of them were offering gifts to royal families and mandarins. Historically, tailors in Van Phuc village used to be chosen to design royal custom under the Nguyen Dynasty
Source: Vietcetera.
The advent of Van Phuc Village was the 9th century, however, until between 1932 and 1931, the first European traders knew about the popularity of Van Phuc Silk via exhibition Marseille, France. Thanks to its durable, smooth, lightweight attributes, silk of Van Phuc has been widely exported throughout the world. From 1958 to 1988, Van Phuc silk was mostly exported to Eastern Europe, its products have reached the customers’ hand in dozens of countries since 1990
3. Special features of Van Phuc Village
Although the urbanization process is occurring in Hanoi and keep spreading to the vicinity and suburban areas, Van Phuc remains its integrity from the prospect of the village to the traditional handicrafts. Especially, the most popular silk-weaving is being preserved and developed to Vietnamese people and international friends. In most of the families involving in the silk-making, the traditional looms are preserved and exhibited as a particle that has gained the reputation for Van Phuc.
II. Van Phuc – The cradle of Silk handicraft
Today, the weavers in Van Phuc Village has constantly improved the weaving techniques of Van Phuc village, with the introduction of cutting-edge technology, the quality of the Van Phuc silk is much more durable and diverse. However, to maintain the value, preserve the technique all the traditional silk-making processes are kept to thoroughly so that the subsequent generations and the international tourists have an opportunity to view the famous Van Phuc Silk.
Source: Unsplash – TN NGUYEN
1. Weaving occupations in Van Phuc
Once entering the Van Phuc Village, you would be astonished because most of the family along the path to the village run the silk business. Specifically, there are more than 1200 households and 90% of the villagers are doing silk-related.
The total length of the whole villagers produce could be up to 2 million meters per year. The disclosure of silk on the path is abundant, from the raw materials of silk to the most sparkling, flawless garments. Besides, the villagers also utilize silk for different accessories such as bags, purses.
Source: Hanoi Department of Tourism – Phương Linh
To create such delicate goods from silk, the silk artisans need to proceed through stages: choose the woven material and then make the cloth fiber. After that, the artisans use the honey to cover the fibers, this process will strengthen and enhance the durability of the products.
In the modern clothing industry, specialized glue will be used in this process, however, some of the substances included in the glue might cause the allergy and skin symptoms-related. Once the fiber has become firm, they would be woven on the to have the finest piece of cloth. Eventually, the weavers choose suitable color to dye the cloth.
Source: Hanoi Department of Tourism – Phương Linh
2. Van Phuc Silk
Van Phuc Silk, or any materials to make silk products are famous for the natural origin. The silk weaving is quite smooth, delicate and the detail on the cloth is always symmetric and the lines are not frizzy or too rough. The products are rich in color, type, and model.
The silk is only made by the master artisans, with the sophisticated surface comprising the sunken detail that is only present under the sun exposure. Moreover, all the processes are done by the oldest techniques that can only be achieved by Van Phuc villagers.
Source: Vietcetera.
With a wide range of types of silk and the proliferation of brands such as Cat silk, Than silk that results in the trendy bags, scarfs, the most well-known is probably the Van silk from Van Phuc with the particular attributes such as elastic, durable, suitable in weathers. Besides, the variety of designs greatly contributes to the success and the popularity of the Van Phuc silk.
3. Manage and develop the traditional artisan
From the common silk-making village, Van Phuc is now one of the most famous conventional handicraft villages in Hanoi, following the Bat Trang Ceramic village. Van Phuc is proud to be the attraction during the excursion in Hanoi. Here you can consult some of the Hanoi itineraries by Lux Travel DMC.
Source: Hanoi Department of Tourism – Phương Linh
Besides, the village is also the usual destination of Hanoi city tour by travel agencies. Arriving at Van Phuc, immersing yourself in the tranquil, picturesque scenery, along with traditional activities about silk such as trading, silk-making, also the folk games and Van Phuc annual festival.
III. Van Phuc Festival
The annual festival occurs from 11th to 13th the first month of the Lunar New Year. The festival is held to commemorate the God of the village, who vastly dedicated to the business of the area. Participating in the festival, you would have an opportunity to learn about the history of the village, witness the silk-making process and buy some of the Van Phuc products. Taking a stroll in the pedestrian zone during the festival, you might not want to miss the glamorous pictures of the ancient village in Hanoi. Besides, folk games are highly recommended.
IV. Buying silk
As mentioned the products of Van Phuc could vary differently from clothes to accessories like handbags or purses, the point is they are all made of silk. The area is quite spacious, once visiting you would not have to worry about the parking lot, catering. Most importantly, the price is incredibly reasonable (the price for the meter of silk usually depends on the material, averagely about 10$), some of the models you could bargain for a lower price even. Additionally, you could also drop in spiritual spots like Van Phuc pagoda, or Natural silk Protected area to understand more about the tradition of Van Phuc village.
V. Exploring Van Phuc with Lux Travel DMC
If you are an avid traveler, do not hesitate to contact us for further information, you would have a chance to explore the Van Phuc Traditional Handicrafts Village, as well as the other conventional villages in Hanoi. With more than 15 years in tourism, Lux Travel DMC helped thousands of customers fulfill their dreams by exclusive high-end tour programs.
Contact Us
Address No.456 Lac Long Quan Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: (+84) 4 3927 4120
Email: [email protected]
Hotline: +84-336-276-996
Website: https://luxtraveldmc.com
