Traditional craft villages in Ha Nam

Ha Nam is not only known for its tourist areas or specialty dishes, but it is also known for its traditional craft villages. This is also one of the reasons that tourists want to come to Ha Nam to experience and witness first-hand the stages of making finished products. Here, let's learn about some traditional craft villages in Ha Nam! 

1. Doi Son drum making profession
 

Doi Tam village, Doi Son commune, Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province has a very long tradition of making drums, according to legend more than 1000 years ago with the ancestors being Nguyen Duc Nang and Nguyen Duc Ban. Legend has it that, in 986, hearing that King Le Dai Hanh was about to return to the village to plow the fields for agricultural extension, the two old men Nang and Ban together made a big drum to welcome the king. The sound of the drum sounded like thunder, so later on, the two old people were honored by the villagers as Trang Sam.

Drum making in Doi Son is famous all over the country. The profession of drumming here is passed on from father to son, people here only pass it on to their sons but not to their daughters or son-in-law for fear of losing it. To make a complete drum, there are three steps: skinning, mourning and drum handling. The drum skin is made of female buffalo skin, filtered off the membrane and then soaked to deodorize. The wood for making drums is mainly jackfruit wood, the wood is cut into many pieces and then mixed into "chips", depending on the size of the drum, how many "chips" can be determined. Finally, the drums. Buffalo skin is spread on the drum surface and then fixed to the drum body with nails. Dowels are made of bamboo or old bamboo. Drum makers in Doi Tam make all kinds of drums: drums in pagodas, pagodas, Cheo drums, school drums, mid-autumn drums, … Although drum-making is not done much anymore because in recent years they have bought very little but this profession. are still chosen by many families as the main occupation to serve their lives.

2. Nha Xa Silk Village
 
 

Nha Xa silk village in Moc Nam commune, Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province is one of the most famous silk villages now second only to Van Phuc silk village - Ha Dong. Although in the past, silk weaving households often had difficulty finding a market for their products, most of the people in Nha Xa village still keep their father's traditional weaving.

According to Chairman of Nha Xa Traditional Silk Industry Association, the village now has 230 households with nearly 800 people, including about 350 main workers, operating nearly 200 weaving machines. There are many families with up to 4-5 looms running throughout the day, these families often close the stages from production to finished products. Large factories have dozens of looms. Here they will produce high quality products to supply high-end domestic and foreign markets such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang and export to Laos, Thailand, ...

3. Quyet Thanh Pottery Village
 

Quyet Thanh pottery village is located in Que town, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province and the pottery village dates back to the 16th century. Going through many difficulties with the country, Quyet Thanh pottery village sometimes seemed to be lost when there were only a few crafters in the village. But then in 2004, as a new breath of life, the craft village was recognized as a traditional craft village by the People's Committee of Ha Nam province.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of the people who love pottery, now, each year, the craft village produces six million products, mainly wine bottles, teapots, jars, … These products are widely distributed throughout the land. countries: Hanoi, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, ... and exported to foreign countries: Korea, Japan, USA, …

4. The village of rice paper rolls in the afternoon
 

Banh mi spring rolls in Chou village are the products of the people of Chou village in Nguyen Ly commune, Ly Nhan district, Ha Nam province. Banh mi spring rolls in Chuong village is famous for its long history, more than 700 years old. Chuong village spring rolls are so popular because of 100% natural ingredients, no harmful chemicals. The main ingredient to make these cakes is plain rice, people often use Khang Dan rice to make the cake more delicious and white. To make the cake more supple and chewy, the people of Chuong village add salt and depending on the weather, mix salt in different proportions, in dry weather, more salt will be needed.

Currently, rice paper rolls in Chuong village are present in all provinces and cities in the country. Moreover, cakes are also available in foreign markets such as the US, Russia, Japan, ... products are very popular with overseas Vietnamese.

5. Bamboo and rattan craft village in Ngoc Dong commune
 

For a long time, the bamboo and rattan craft village in Ngoc Dong commune, Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province has traditionally produced and traded handicrafts made from rattan, bamboo, .... The rattan and bamboo trees are polished and chopped into soft strips, then dried. Ngoc Dong people also create colors for bamboo and rattan to be more vivid. People will dye it naturally but still retain its durability so that when using the product it will not fade.
The meticulousness, care and beauty are always guaranteed by people when creating products. Thereby helping bamboo and rattan products in Ngoc Dong commune gain a high reputation in both domestic and international markets. Since its inception, the main product of Ngoc Dong village has been rattan chairs. Thanks to its beauty, suitable for the climate and environment, the reputation of the village resonates far away, and buyers are busy. Over time, the products of Ngoc Dong craft village are more and more diversified such as: vases, baskets, bags, tables and chairs, hats, … The love of this craft and potential for developing this industry has helped the bamboo and rattan craft village. Ngoc Dong knitting is getting stronger and stronger and maintaining the precious tradition that the forefathers have left.

If you have the opportunity to come here, visitors can experience the people making some products of the craft villages. Tien Loc Palace Hotel wishes you a pleasant and memorable experience.