When you come to Van Phuc Village, you cannot miss the experience of checking in on the colorful umbrella road, visiting the ancient Van Phuc Pagoda, taking photos on the mural wall. Or admire and shop for silk products, … Let’s explore this ancient traditional craft village with Origin Vietnam.
1. Where is Van Phuc Silk Village?
Van Phuc Silk Village is located in Van Phuc Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi City, Vietnam. It is about 12 km southwest of Hanoi city center and about 33 km south of Noi Bai International Airport.
Photo by Dam Anh
2. How is Van Phuc Silk Village unique?
Van Phuc Silk Village is also famous as Ha Dong Silk Village. This is a craft village in Hanoi, with an ancient beauty, famous for its quality silk weaving products and many virtual check-in spots that attract young people and tourists.
Van Phuc silk village is one of more than 1,000 traditional craft villages in Vietnam. And it is also the cradle of silk weaving. Currently, in this silk village, there are nearly 800 households living on traditional silk weaving.
In particular, it is recognized as “The oldest silk weaving village still operating today”. This silk village carries a unique cultural and artistic heritage with more than 1,000 years of history. Van Phuc village is not only a symbol of traditional handicrafts, but also an attractive tourist destination with a beautiful virtual living space.
3. History of Van Phuc silk village
Previously, the name of the village was Van Bao. But due to the taboo with the name of the Nguyen Dynasty king, people renamed it Van Phuc.
1931 marked the first time that silk products woven in the village were promoted and introduced to the international market. At the first introduction, silk products woven in Van Phuc village were highly appreciated by the French. They commented as one of the most sophisticated silk lines in Indochina.
In 1958, people officially exported the silk products of the village to Eastern European countries.
Since then, Ha Dong silk is still a popular product in the world and Van Phuc silk village has also become a leading craft village in the textile industry of Vietnam.
4. Products of Van Phuc silk village
Following the long history, the products of Van Phuc silk village have maintained their traditional beauty. And it have transformed and improved every day to be more diverse and eye-catching. Van Phuc silk products are always highly appreciated, both beautiful and durable. The raw materials of the products are mainly made from silk, so they have a characteristic softness and toughness. Combined with the skillful craftsmanship of the craftsmen and many elaborate stages, high-quality products have been created.
Van Phuc silk products are currently very diverse in design and type. Decorative patterns on silk are delicately and creatively expressed through the craftsmen’s skills. Such as dragons and phoenixes, silk flowers, cloud peaks, four-leaf clovers, flying clouds, etc. The symmetrical decorative patterns, elegant lines but still bold and liberal help the products become outstanding and highly aesthetic.
Each year, Van Phuc Ha Dong silk exports about 2.5 to 3 million square meters of fabric. With its outstanding characteristics, people often choose Van Phuc – Ha Dong silk as a luxurious gift for relatives, friends or partners.
5. When is the best time to visit Van Phuc silk village?
Van Phuc silk village is always ready to welcome visitors at any time of the year. However, if you want to admire the most beautiful scenery of the silk village, the ideal time is from September to April next year. During this time, the cultural week takes place, as well as the traditional festival of the village is held. At that time, the atmosphere in the silk village was extremely bustling and sparkling.
Photo by Dam Anh
6. How to get to Van Phuc silk village?
Van Phuc silk village is only about 12 km from the center of Hanoi. It is very convenient for visitors to explore. You can refer to some convenient ways to travel below:
6.1 Bus/ elevated train:
Public transport is a suitable choice to help you move quickly and economically. Some bus routes to Van Phuc village that you can refer to. Line numbers: 3, 7, 14, 20c, 25, 26, 31, 32, 36, 50, 55, and 79. In addition, you can take the Cat Linh – Ha Dong elevated train. At Ha Dong station, you can get off and walk or take a taxi to Van Phuc silk village, because the distance is only about 2 km.
6.2 Personal vehicle:
If you want to have a free schedule and combine visiting many places, you can use personal vehicles such as motorbikes or private cars. The route from the center to the silk village is as follows. You start from the center of Hanoi and travel along Nguyen Trai street to Ha Dong post office. From here, turn right and go about 1 km more to reach Van Phuc silk village. Or you can also take the route: Hanoi center – Le Van Luong street – To Huu – Van Phuc village.
6.3 Taxi, technology car:
You can take a taxi, or technology car services to conveniently travel to the silk village if you do not have your own vehicle.
7. Discovering the beauty of Van Phuc silk village
Van Phuc silk village is a place where ancient and modern traditions intersect. It not only has colorful, beautiful silk, but this place also has many interesting things for you to explore with many super cool check-in backgrounds via our special Hanoi tour packages offers.
7.1 Van Phuc silk village gate with traditional features
When you first set foot in Van Phuc silk village, you will definitely be overwhelmed by the unique and impressive design of the welcome gate. The entrance to the silk village is built entirely of red bricks with a strong traditional imprint. The image of the welcome gate contains the meaning of expressing the majesty and solidity of the whole village.
It is ready to overcome all difficulties to maintain and develop the craft village to become stronger and stronger. Next to the entrance gate is a large stone stele, the words “Van Phuc Silk Village” are deeply engraved on the stone surface.
7.2 Colorful umbrella road – extremely attractive virtual life
Before reaching the area inside the silk village, you will be able to admire the beautiful color strip created by thousands of lovely small umbrellas hanging above your head, covering the entire 100m long road. The Van Phuc umbrella road was just launched not long ago, but has attracted a lot of tourists to check in.
7.3 Genuine Van Phuc silk stalls
Visiting the silk stalls, you will be able to touch the soft, shiny silk. The patterns on the silk here are extremely diverse, people created them from four basic types: plants, animals, graphics and objects. Especially, they decorated the motifs symmetrically with each other, bringing a pleasant feeling to the viewer. This has also created the characteristic of Van Phuc silk which is simple, liberal, and not fussy.
The main material to weave Van Phuc silk strips that make people fascinated is silk. According to the artisans, to have a truly perfect silk product down to the smallest detail. It requires the craftsman to perform many stages, from silk, starch, then weaving, dyeing, then drying, … and monitoring the entire process. Among the traditional silks, Van silk is the most famous and most popular with customers.
The stalls selling Van Phuc silk also provide a variety of products: silk fabrics, silk clothes, silk scarves, … You can freely choose the item you like and buy it as a meaningful gift.
7.4 Unique mural wall
Not only is there a picturesque umbrella road, but Van Phuc village also has a quite impressive mural wall. The unique images on this wall were drawn by the teachers at Van Phuc Kindergarten to recreate the activities of Van Phuc craft village.
7.5 Sacred Van Phuc village communal house
In the middle of Van Phuc village, there is also a sacred communal house, called Van Phuc communal house. Which worships the village’s Thanh Hoang, the person who “Protecting the country – Helping the people”. This is a famous historical – cultural relic site in Hanoi, with many important meanings for the people living here.
7.6 Ancient pagoda of Van Phuc village
Choosing to visit Van Phuc silk village, you can admire the soft, captivating silk strips; the colorful spaces; and enjoy the quiet, peaceful time of the countryside at the ancient Van Phuc pagoda. The pagoda is located right next to the left of the village gate with the ancient architecture of the pagodas in the North.
The garden space of Van Phuc pagoda is paved with red bricks, the ancient banyan tree, lotus well, waterfall and wooden bridge are all stained with time. The sound of the temple’s wooden fish and chanting combined with the quiet atmosphere of the temple will bring visitors a feeling of relaxation and comfort.
8. Participating in and experience the festival in Van Phuc silk village
In addition to the attractive experiences above, Van Phuc silk village also organizes an extremely unique and bustling festival. The festival takes place in the village from March 1 to March 3 (i.e. January 11-13 of the lunar calendar) every year. The festival in the village is organized in 3 main parts: the ceremony, the festival and the promotion.
During the festival, people decorated the silk village space extremely brightly and colorfully. From the prominent umbrella road right from the village gate to the silk stalls. The most beautiful festival scene is at night, when the yellow lights are turned on. It blends with the brilliant colors, making many visitors think of a “miniature Hoi An”.
Participating in the festival, you will have the opportunity to witness and experience the silk weaving process from A to Z. The vibrant, bustling atmosphere and enthusiasm of the people during the festival in Van Phuc village will help you feel a joyful and impressive festival.
9. Enjoying specialties when visiting Van Phuc silk village
Near Van Phuc silk village, there are many restaurants and eateries serving a variety of dishes. From snacks to main dishes, they are all available. Therefore, after an exciting tour of the craft village, you can enjoy the dishes at the following suggested dining addresses:
- Red Coral Restaurant – Fresh Seafood. Address: No. 26 Van Phuc, Ha Dong, Hanoi.
- Hotpot. Address: B7 63 Van Phuc, Ha Dong, Hanoi.
- Aki Tea – Milk Tea & Snacks. Address: No. 19, Lane 31, Van Phuc, Ha Dong, Hanoi.
- Dinh Hang – Pho & Vermicelli of All Kinds. Address: No. 82 Van Phuc, Ha Dong, Hanoi.
- To Thuc – Duck Specialties. Address: No. 430 Van Phuc, Ha Dong, Hanoi.
10. Some necessary notes when visiting Van Phuc silk village
There are some experiences of traveling to Van Phuc silk village. That you can refer to for your tour and exploration such as:
- When visiting the village by personal vehicle, you can park your vehicle at the parking lot after passing the village gate a few meters. The village is not too large, so parking your vehicle and walking will help you feel more comfortable during your visit and shopping.
- If you choose to visit and explore the village on the first or fifteenth day of each month. Limit bargaining to avoid showing bad intentions to the traders.
- There are not too many restaurants in the village, but mainly street vendors. The food at street vendors is quite clean and reasonably priced, so you can enjoy it with peace of mind.
- Van Phuc has a variety of beautiful and diverse products. Therefore, you can make a list of things to buy. Avoid not knowing what to buy, or shopping too much.
- The prices in Van Phuc are usually not too different. However, you should discuss prices at a few shops, and can also negotiate the price to buy the product at the most reasonable cost.
- Van Phuc is not only famous for its silk products but also has many interesting places to visit. Plan to visit the places you are eager in to fully enjoy the silk village experience.
It is worthy visiting Van Phuc silk village
Van Phuc Silk Village is a 1,000-year-old craft village that is still developing in the heart of Hanoi. It is a cultural heritage with strong traditions waiting for you to discover. The shimmering silk strips under the sun, the familiar images of the Vietnamese countryside will take you to a peaceful sky, separate from the bustling modern capital.
Thus, with detailed and useful information about the history and attractive experiences, Van Phuc Silk Village travel experience. Origin Vietnam – the leading tour operator in Vietnam. We hope you will learn more about an attractive Hanoi tourist destination and have an interesting, memorable experience with this traditional silk village.
