Kim Bong Carpentry Village is one of Hoi An’s traditional craft villages. With many artistic works and products rich in cultural value, it attracts tourists from all over to visit. Let’s learn more about this beautiful craft village with Origin Vietnam.
1. Where is Kim Bong carpentry village?
Kim Bong carpentry village is located on Nong Thon street, Trung Ha village, Cam Kim commune, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province, Vietnam. About 7 km southwest of Hoi An ancient town center and about 30 km southeast of Da Nang city.
2. How is Kim Bong carpentry village unique?
Kim Bong Carpentry Village in Hoi An is located right on the lower right bank of the Thu Bon River. Which flows through Hoi An before flowing into the sea. From the village, looking across the river is Hoi An ancient town, a famous place you should not miss when coming here. This favorable location is also an advantage in easily moving and circulating goods by waterway, serving the lives of the people here.
This place is the convergence of many skilled carpentry artisans and highly artistic sculptures. With a development history of more than 500 years, Kim Bong Carpentry Village is one of the tourist destinations that attracts many tourists to visit and explore.
With the quiet, clean space and fresh air of Kim Bong carpentry village. You will feel the purity and peace in your soul.
3. When is the best time to visit Kim Bong carpentry village?
If you plan to visit Kim Bong carpentry village, you should choose a time during the dry season, from March to August. This is the most ideal time to experience and explore.
More specifically, on the 6th day of the first lunar month, the traditional death anniversary of Kim Bong Hoi An carpentry village is held in a grand way. This day is an opportunity to honor and remember the contributions of ancestors in developing Kim Bong carpentry village.
Therefore, coming here on this occasion, you have the opportunity to participate in the traditional festivals of the people here.
Kim Bong Carpentry Village is an indoor attraction. So coming during the rainy season will not affect the process of visiting the carpentry village. However, it will be inconvenient and difficult on your journey. Therefore, you should consider visiting Kim Bong carpentry village in Hoi An during the rainy season.
4. How to get to Kim Bong carpentry village from Hoi An ancient town?
With an extremely convenient location, you can easily travel with different means of transportation depending on your needs and preferences. We introduce to you two main means of transport: boat and motorbike.
4.1 Traveling to Kim Bong carpentry village by boat
You can find the location of Kim Bong carpentry village in just 10 minutes by boat. If you depart from the old town ferry station to the south, follow Bach Dang direction on the riverside and follow the Hoi An – Cam Kim ferry route. Next, you walk a little further and Kim Bong carpentry village will appear before your eyes.
4.2 Traveling to Kim Bong carpentry village by motorbike
Along with the boat, you can go by rented motorbike in this area, you go straight across Cam Kim bridge for about 600m. After that, you continue going straight and turn left to continue about 3km to Kim Bong carpentry village. This means of transport is chosen by many people because not only is it cheap. But you can also see the poetic beauty of Hoi An village.
5. Activities and experiences at Kim Bong carpentry village
5.1 Learning about the more than 600-year-old traditional history of Kim Bong carpentry village
Kim Bong carpentry village began focusing on carpentry from the 16th century. And it went through many stages of strong development following the bustling trade rhythm of Hoi An port town. During this period, Hoi An interacted extensively with foreign countries, “absorbing” different carpentry styles. It creates a premise for a unique nuance of Kim Bong carpentry in Hoi An.
By the 18th century, the village had formed three distinct occupational groups: construction carpentry, boatbuilding carpentry and civil carpentry. In addition, the profession of masonry, painting and carving mascots also contributes to making the village’s name known far and wide in all regions.
Today, although the golden age has passed, the craftsmen of Kim Bong carpentry village who love their profession still maintain their old lifestyle. They joined hands to restore and preserve Hoi An ancient town relics. And they also travel everywhere to build traditional 3-compartment houses and ancient houses. Besides, handicraft carpentry also developed more when the village began to open to welcome tourists.
To explore the village, you can rent bicycles to ride around, explore the professional life of the people or visit the family church. In particular, you also have the opportunity to see and experience the process of weaving bamboo, weaving mats and making cakes.
5.2 Directly observing the process of making wooden products by carpenters
When first entering the village, the first thing that impresses you is the sound of chisels, knicks, clangs typical of carpentry. This is also a familiar sound and an indispensable part of the lives of the people here.
Visiting Kim Bong carpentry village is also an opportunity for visitors to have a more realistic and clear perspective on carpentry. The most impressive thing is being able to directly observe the stages of producing a wooden product. And to create a complete product, many different complicated steps are required. Some people create the body, others portray the soul so that each finished product is not only useful but also delicate, beautiful and culturally valuable.
The main products here include: the quartet of dragon – unicorn – turtle – phoenix, dancing peacocks, saint statues. Even household items such as tables, chairs, altar cabinets, etc. Not only that, the artisans here also have experience in building guild halls, pagodas, village communal houses, churches, interior and exterior buildings or “everything” related to wooden furniture.
5.3 Enjoying the unique beauty of Kim Bong carpentry village’s wooden products
After observing the process of creating wooden products by carpenters, you can take some time to admire the beauty of the finished products. If you pay close attention, you will see that the motifs and patterns carved on each product reflect the unique culture of Hoi An people.
These include: images of buffalo, farmer, boat, bamboo tree, Bridge Pagoda,… All are carved simply, extremely rustic and intimate. This not only creates uniqueness for products from Kim Bong carpentry village. But it also makes visitors extremely curious and excited.
In addition, the wooden products of Kim Bong carpentry village also have an extremely durable material with a characteristic shiny brown color. It creates wooden panels with different color angles that sometimes create a luxurious feeling, or sometimes not, it is extremely rustic. Thanks to the techniques of embossing, filigree, and perforation from skillful and skillful hands. The artisans have created a world of natural and enchanting wooden furniture.
5.4 Learning about the lives of people in craft villages
Any profession will shape the lifestyle and culture of each individual. The people of Kim Bong carpentry village are the same, they are artisans dedicated to their profession. Through highly aesthetic and unique products. We can partly see the burning passion and culture passed down from generation to generation in the people here. They always want to preserve and develop further, which is why the craft village exists today.
6. Specialties when visiting Kim Bong carpentry village
Because Kim Bong carpentry village is not too far from Hoi An ancient town. It is located right on the banks of the Thu Bon River, you can combine visiting the village first, then moving to the old town center to walk and enjoy the cuisine. In Hoi An, there are many attractive specialties, such as: cao lau, chicken rice, Phuong bread, stir-fried mussel cake,… and countless other attractive snacks. All have created Hoi An ancient town, an attractive and unique culinary space.
7. Accommodation when visiting Kim Bong carpentry village
Because moving from Hoi An to Kim Bong village is very easy. The best choice for your trip will be a hotel in Hoi An to enjoy the best services. Below are some highly rated hotels when staying in Hoi An ancient town:
- Little Riverside Hoi An. Address: 09 Phan Boi Chau Street, Cam Chau, Hoi An, Quang Nam.
- Gem Riverside Hotel Hoi An. Address: 14 Luong Nhu Bich, Cam Nam, Hoi An, Quang Nam.
- Kiman Hoi An Hotel & Spa. Address: 463 D. Hai Ba Trung, Tan An, Hoi An, Quang Nam.
8. Some other famous tourist attractions near Kim Bong carpentry village
After having a meaningful and enjoyable time in the craft village, if desired, visitors can visit some nearby places . Such as: Hoi An ancient town, Thanh Ha pottery village (4.8km away), Triem Tay garden house ecotourism area (3.2km away), Huynh Ri ancient house (1km away),..These are places that are not too far and convenient for tourists to go and return within the same day.
9. Some notes when traveling to Kim Bong carpentry village
To make your trip to visit Kim Bong carpentry village more fun and meaningful, please refer to some notes below:
- On the 6th day of the first lunar month every year there is a death anniversary ceremony for the founder of Kim Bong carpentry village. So if you travel during this time, you will have more opportunities to experience and explore.
- There is always a bicycle rental service in the village. So if you don’t want to walk, you can rent a bike to go around the village. You can also enjoy sightseeing and trying local rustic dishes.
- Because the craft village is quite large, you should pay attention to preparing comfortable clothes. You should bring an umbrella, and sunscreen to protect their skin.
The journey to discover Kim Bong carpentry village will bring visitors interesting emotions, unforgettable impressions as well as accumulate more knowledge about carpentry, enhancing their own cultural values. Not only the carpentry village, visitors can also discover more entertainment and cultural experiences in the unique space of Hoi An.
Please immediately contact Origin Vietnam – a professional tour operator, for more useful information about destinations and schedules in Hoi An to explore Kim Bong village with the most wonderful experiences.
Images Source: Internet
