Thanh Ha Pottery Village

Pottery is not just a significant and traditional craft in Vietnam, but also an important means of livelihood. The Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An is a famous example in this type of an establishment that aims at furthering tradition as well as employment. The Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An is located in the Quang Nam Province in the Thanh Ha ward; Hoi An lies 3 Km to the east of it. The pottery village has a long historical legacy attached to it.

The tradition dated back to the time when the Nguyen Dynasty of Hue invited craftsmen from the Thanh Ha Pottery Village to fashion some decorative as well as useful articles for the palace. This one event gained them sufficient renown to last them a lifetime. Henceforth, the village began a Mandrain system of grading craftsmen according to their talent. The most talented held the ninth position. The pottery at the Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An are all manually crafted and are exported world over. The techniques that they use are unique from those prevalent in other provinces. The Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An crafts decorative articles along with useful items like cups, jars, bowls and pots. The flower pots made here are particularly sought after.

The Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An used clay mixing techniques, burning and baking time and heat modulations to bring out different colors like pink, pinkish-yellow, red, light brown and ink-black in the wares. The craftsmen also modulate all these aspects to achieve immense durability in their products. Aside of the regular articles, the Thanh Ha Pottery Village in Hoi An is also renowned for its bricks and tiles of various shapes and sizes. In fact its bricks and tiles are sourced out to the entire local as well as many foreign regions. It is the most trusted name for contractors engaged in tasks of renovation.

TraQue Vegetable Village

Just half a kilometre up the road from the Tomb of Tani Yajirobei is the Tra Que Vegetable Farm, a community of people who grow a wide variety of veggies and herbs in the rich soil at the top of the rice field. And rarely have any rural areas in Vietnam are living enough base on growing vegetables like this. Since the begining of the XX century and previous, Traque is one of the important stop of many boats circulate along the De Vong river from Hoi An to Da Nang and vise versa .

Tra Que is a charming little village located just a few kilometres from Northeast of Hoi An. Its location is between De Vong river and Tra Que alga pond (Cam Ha commune - Hoi An town). This village is famous for many kinds of vegetables in a long time: lettuce, salad, houttuynia, flagrant knoutwed, basil and coriander vegetables etc., The village is named after the sweet scented vegetables that spice up the everyday meals of the Hoi An people. Here a new spirit for traditional Hoi An dishes like Cao Lau, Quang noodles, the local ‘Tam huu' spring roll (made from Tra Que vegetables) and cake with meat (Banh xeo) has been enlivened.

The farmers use neither manure nor chemical fertilizers but a kind of algae found only in a lagoon in Tra Que. As a result, the vegetables both look beautiful in their fields as well as possessing outstanding taste and flavor. Products sell well and are highly appreciated due to the freshness, good quality and safety. Everyday all the year round, 8 tons of Tra  Que vegetables are sold and people in Quang Nam-Danang area are addicted to having them in their meals. That is why many eaters, even the easiest ones said that they feel tasteless if their meals lack in Tra Que vegetables.

The residents have now found a newer way to supplement their income: tourism. Thanks to its special features, the village has become a very attractive destination for tourists, particularly foreigners. In fact, it is so popular that people wishing to visit the village would have to book a tour in advance. The highlight of the visit is a chance to try their hand at actual farming.  You will take a trip around the vegetable garden and join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed from the local lake.

Tra Que vegetable village with the entire nice herb being cultivated with high technology make the vegetable here nice and fresh. Also you will live in the beautiful atmosphere, very relax and can feel peace of the Vietnam village. If you ever stop over in Hoian shouldn't miss visit Tra Que vegetable village.

Kim Bong Carpentry Village

The carpentry village of Kim Bong belongs to the Cam Kim commune, just on the other side of Hoi An river. Take a boat trip on Thu Bon River to visit Thanh Ha & Kim Bong handicraft Villages. It is very convenient for tourists to visit and collect souvenirsin Kim Bong Village.

Kim Bong Carpentry Village was famous for earthenware that sold in many provinces in Central Vietnam. Their work on the head of columns, rafters, pillars, altars, tables, chairs and beds are incredible and masterpieces that anyone would admire and give praise to when they see it. Most of the architectural projects in Hoi An ancient town were constructed by the village natives from the heyday of Hoian as a commercial port. They were built by skillful carpenters and still valuable today.

The technique of Kim Bong carpenters is exceptional. The Kim Bong carpenters still keep their traditional alive. Carpentry Thanh Ha pottery villagers are doing the same work in the same way that their forefathers did in the past. In their clever and skillful hands, clay turn to pretty flower vases, tea pots, piggy banks, wine bottles, water jars, kettles, cooking pots or lovely birds, turtles, buffaloes, cats, ducks, etc. They also made and provided bricks, roof and floor bricks for old building in Hoian and the surrounding areas as well as overseas markets. Besides that, Kim Bong carpenters had built big trade ships helping to exchange easily transport goods everywhere.

Moreover you will have the possibility to visit the shipbuilding area where wooden fishing vessels are built using traditional techniques. Nowadays many old buildings in Hoian need repairing and restoring and Thanh Ha villagers are the only trusted contractors that can provide standardized bricks, roof and floor bricks exactly like those during the time when Hoian port town prospered.

Many of them turn to make fishing boats for fishermen all over Central Vietnam. Many are eager to repair and restore old building in town or made wooden statues, wood carved articles and traditional furniture to be sold and exported. The workshops today make hand crafted furniture and sculptures as well as a range of tempting souvenirs, some of which are exported a field as Europe and North America.