TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN VAN PHUC SILK VILLAGE, HANOI, VIETNAM

20-03-2019

This is the most famous silk village from ancient time; there are many patterns and long-stand of Vietnam. Van Phuc silk is selected under the reign of the Nguyen. Located on the Nhue River, Van Phuc silk village retains many features ancient such as the well, lotus flower, tree… Van Phuc silk village has reputation with silk weaving tradition. Ha Dong silk as well as traditional crafts of the trade villages in Hanoi, often referred to in ancient poetry. According to legend, about 1.200 years ago, Ms. A La Thi Nuong living in Cao Bang is a famous person with skillful weaving of Van Phuc village. She brought the secrets of Chinese weaving silk to teach people who live in the village. When she passed away, she was respected as tutelary deity.

Van Phuc silk village became famous from the reign of Ly. Van Phuc silk was the first introduced at the Marseille International Fair (1931) and Paris (1938), it was evaluated as the sophisticated products of Indochina. Van Phuc silk is very popular in France, Thailand, and Indonesia… From 1958 to 1988, Van Phuc silk were exported to Eastern Europe countries, from 1990, it was exported to many countries in the world.

Silk production
Van Phuc silk has been known for its smooth, light weight, and elegant appearance. Especially, a traditional kind of silk called Van Silk made in Van Phuc make the wearers feel cool in summer and warm in winter. Today, to satisfy various demand for silk of the market, Van Phuc silk producers have expanded their silk and garment goods like embroidered silk, , wrinkled silk, double layers and more colors for silk products.
Many families in Van Phuc open their own shops on the main road of the village; create a “town of silk” that sell eye-catching and high quality silk products. Tourists may buy available nice souvenir and clothes in the shop, or select the most suitable materials to then get customized products. The sellers are very friendly and can speak a little English and French to communicate to foreign tourists.
Nowadays, although the weaving has been mechanized for higher productivity, there are still simple manual looms in some houses in the village which help tourists contemplate the genuinely traditional Vietnamese way of making silk.

How to get there
Tourists can join a tour to Van Phuc village available in travel agencies, or visit Van Phuc on their owns by car, motorbike, or catch the local bus 02, 21 then walk 500m to reach the village.
Tourists should travel south west out of Hanoi center on Nguyen Trai road until reach the border of Ha Dong district, then turn right and drive about 3km to reach the village.