Top 7 New and Fascinating Craft Villages in Hanoi

Van Dien Woodworking Village, located in Van Dien commune, Thuong Tin district, Hanoi, has evolved from a small timber trading village. Thanks to the keen insight, creativity, and meticulousness of the local artisans, Van Dien has brought a fresh breeze to the craft. Established around 20 years ago, the products from Van Dien are now considered beautifully crafted, rivaling those made in other well-known woodworking villages across the country, such as La Xuyen in Nam Dinh, Phu Xuyen in Hanoi, and Son Dong in Hoai Duc.

Today, Van Dien commune has around 2,000 households, with 70% of them engaged in woodworking. The craft of woodworking is the primary source of income for the community, contributing 70% of the total income. Like other craft villages, the families in Van Dien are involved in various stages of production, often divided into groups handling different tasks like timber trading, sawing, production, and finishing. Each group plays a crucial role in the supply chain, from raw timber to finished wooden products.

Phu An Village, located in Phuc Tho district, Hanoi, has recently gained recognition as the 'Kitchen Cabinet Village'. Situated 30 kilometers west of central Hanoi, this area is home to over 200 workshops that produce kitchen cabinets, employing thousands of workers from surrounding towns. The kitchen cabinets made in Phu An are now well-loved by consumers, securing a solid presence in the market, especially in Hanoi and neighboring provinces.

Not only does Phu An produce custom-made kitchen cabinets, but many workshops in the village also offer full services, including consultation, design, production, and installation. The materials used in the production of these cabinets are varied, ranging from natural wood to engineered wood and plastic, catering to a wide range of market demands, from budget to high-end products.

Thanks to careful selection of high-quality wood and meticulous craftsmanship, the Phu An kitchen cabinet brand has earned a stellar reputation for its durability, practicality, and lasting beauty. Today, Phu An village boasts beautiful, spacious homes and thriving workshops, where the sounds of machines and drills echo day and night, a testament to the village's prosperous development.

In the past, sausages were considered a luxury food, typically served during holidays or special occasions. However, with the rise of economic prosperity, sausages have become an everyday meal enjoyed by many. Among the northern villages known for their sausages, one has gained particular fame in Vietnam’s culinary scene: Hoang Trung Sausage Village, located in Hong Duong Commune, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi.

The reputation of Hoang Trung sausages stems from their commitment to safety and quality, with no additives used in the products. While traditionally, sausage-making was a labor-intensive process, today the villagers use modern machinery to replace wood-burning stoves, reducing environmental pollution.

To produce high-quality sausages, great care is taken in selecting the ingredients. The pork must be fresh and from healthy pigs, with the meat remaining firm when sliced. The banana leaves used for wrapping the sausages are carefully chosen, as poor-quality leaves can spoil the taste and shelf life of the product. The finished sausages should have a light pink color, visible air pockets when sliced, and a rich, savory aroma.

The primary products from Hoang Trung Village include silk sausage, cinnamon sausage, and fatty sausage. Additionally, the villagers also offer traditional foods like bánh chưng (rice cakes), bánh dày (sticky rice cakes), and xôi (sticky rice). Although the work is demanding, requiring long hours and hard labor, many villagers have been able to prosper through this traditional craft.

Unlike many woodworking villages in Hanoi that produce a wide range of items, Châu Phong Woodworking Village specializes in high-end wooden furniture and decorative pieces. The village’s main products include wooden dining tables, chairs, study desks, work desks, altars, wardrobes, and more. The materials used for these creations are often high-quality woods known for their durability and beauty, such as oak, rosewood, ironwood, and mahogany.

With their skillful craftsmanship and refined aesthetic sense, the artisans of Châu Phong have created exquisite high-end wooden furniture that combines modern design with traditional charm. This unique blend of quality and artistry has earned the village a renowned reputation across the country, despite it being relatively young, with the village experiencing significant growth in the last few decades. Today, around 90% of Châu Phong’s residents have shifted from farming to specializing in woodworking.

To address the environmental challenges many craft villages face, most workshops in Châu Phong are equipped with large dust extractors to reduce sawdust during cutting and polishing. This not only helps protect the health of workers but also allows them to reuse the wood scents for mushroom cultivation.

Giang Cao Village is located in Bát Tràng Commune, Gia Lâm District, Hanoi. While Bát Tràng ceramics have long been famous both nationally and internationally, Giang Cao ceramics emerged more recently, carving out a unique identity with products that cater to the spiritual realm. Today, Giang Cao has successfully established a reputation for producing a diverse range of ceramics with distinctive quality, specializing in ceramics used in architecture and fine arts. Their glazed pottery, crackled glazes, and jade glazes are showcased in items such as vases, ceremonial objects, animal figurines, and particularly their striking ceramic paintings, which have captivated tourists.

The skilled artisans of Giang Cao produce a wide variety of products, balancing market demand with personal artistic expression. Their primary offerings include restored and antique-style ceramics, high-end household items, and some have even ventured into creating fine art ceramics. The village is also renowned for its spiritual ceramics, used in religious and cultural practices.

Beyond local sales, the artisans of Giang Cao Village contribute to the construction of major national and municipal architectural projects in Hanoi. Many of their products have been exported abroad, and the artisans continue to expand their presence in the domestic market. Each year, they participate in trade fairs, exhibitions, and creative product contests, consistently earning top awards, certificates, and recognition from the Hanoi government.

Rice cakes (Bánh chưng) have been an essential part of Vietnamese culture for centuries, traditionally placed on ancestral altars and featured in family feasts during the Lunar New Year. Tranh Khuc Village (located in Tân Hà, Duyên Hải, Thanh Trì) is one of the most renowned rice cake-making villages in Hanoi, producing thousands of cakes daily, which are distributed not only throughout Hanoi and neighboring provinces but also abroad. During the end of the year, the sight of green dong leaves and the aroma of fragrant green beans and pork filling the air are a common sight and smell in the village.

The village's specialty is the iconic green rice cake, a dish that traces back to the legendary story of Prince Lang Liêu during the reign of the Hung Kings. It has since become a staple food during the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. The tradition of wrapping rice cakes by hand has been passed down through three to four generations in the village. Each cake is perfectly square and firm. While the rice cakes were traditionally made only during Tet, in recent years, they have gained popularity, and the village now produces them year-round. However, it is during the run-up to Tet, especially from the 20th of December onwards, when the village is busiest, with locals preparing dong leaves and tending fires day and night to fulfill orders for the capital and neighboring regions.

Lệ Mật is a village located in Việt Hưng Ward, Long Biên District, about 7 km northeast of central Hanoi. The village is renowned for its snake-catching tradition and the processing of various snake dishes. Every year, on the 23rd day of the 3rd lunar month, people from surrounding areas and visitors from afar gather to celebrate the Lệ Mật Festival. Today, the village is home to hundreds of snake farms, dozens of specialty snake restaurants, and many cultural events celebrating all things related to snakes. Lệ Mật is considered the northern region’s center for snake trade and is known both within Vietnam and internationally.

During the village festival, various snake competitions are held, such as the largest snake, the most beautiful snake, and the most unusual snake. In addition to these events, there are performances, snake dances, and educational sessions where locals share their expertise in breeding, catching, using snake venom, treating snake bites, and cooking snake-based dishes.

Visitors to Lệ Mật Village can indulge in a range of snake-based dishes or purchase snake-related products known for their medicinal properties, such as remedies for burns, dry skin, asthma, arthritis, epilepsy, and blood disorders. Snake farming has always been a dangerous profession, but as industrialization has progressed, the villagers of Lệ Mật have adapted, combining snake farming with the growing restaurant service industry to meet the demands of both local and international customers.