VAN PHUC SILK VILLAGE

INFORMATION
During their stay in Hanoi, most tourists insist on a trip to Van Phuc Silk Village, the famous
silk village of Hanoi to contemplate the genuine traditional silk-making industry.
Van Phuc Silk Village is situated on the banks of Nhue Thi River, Nguyen Trai Road, near Ha Dong
city, 8 km southwest of Ha Noi. It takes you only 30 minutes by motorbike to go there from the
centre of Hanoi. The village has been much well known for its traditional sericulture, weaving, and
silk products. Tourists coming here are lured by various beautiful shirts, crafts, ties, dresses and
many other things made of silk available in the village. What is special is that the silk is made by
very simple looms, which is the genuinely traditional Vietnamese way of making silk.
The cradle of Vietnamese Silk
For centuries, silk has always been considered an extreme luxury, on par with rhinoceros horn,
ivory and precious handworks in Vietnam. It has long been a universal byword of luxury, often worn
by the richest, most powerful citizens. Most visitors somehow have heard about the significant role
of this kind of material in Vietnam, yet might wonder where the cradle of Viet silk is. The mentioned
Van Phuc Silk Village is proud to be the origin of best silk and silk-making industry of Vietnam,
which is attached to a long-lasting history of more than two thousand years. Though passing by lots
of ups and downs, during the recent years, the villages craft has enjoyed revival due to a surging
demand for silk in both the domestic and foreign markets.
Today, the fine and lustrous cloth that originates from the cocoon of the silkworm is more affordable
for "ordinary" folk. Furthermore, silk is currently enjoying a fashion renaissance, particularly since
its many varieties can be made into a wide range of designs suitable for all facets of modern life.
Should you intend to have a silk pair of formal clothes made, just come here and select your
suitable materials, and professional tailors here will bring you satisfaction!
Ideal place for silk products & souvenirs
Like other visitors to the village, you will be surprised at this silk shop town, where almost all
houses along the paths have been turned into shops selling silk products. Specifically, the village is
now home to 1,280 households, 90% of whom are involved in silk production and business. The
village makes more than 2 million meters of silk per year. Yet, more than that, you are offered a
good chance to explore the Vietnamese traditional industry of silk-making.
No tourists here are uncontented with the glisten of various silk products. They are always
confronted with an initially bewildering array of silk products, from raw materials, to garments, and a
myriad of silk accessories. The local silk is known for its smooth and lightweight appearance, and
qualities that enable it to be dyed more colors to suit a variety of skin tones. In order to cater for the
changing demands and tastes of customers, Van Phuc silk producers are expanding their silk and
garment repertoire: traditional glossy, embroidered silks, double layers, wrinkled silks, and of
course, more colours, hues and weights, for which they have invented new techniques in dying and
thermo-processing the threads.
If you are going to buy something from Vietnam as gifts for those at home, silk and clothes made of
silk are available around in the village for your choice. Though the days when Vietnam's silk was
reserved for nobility are long gone, what would never change is the sense of romance and luxury
imparted by silk, a luminous cloth type. With 2000 years of history behind them, the silk weavers of
Van Phuc Silk village are still busy, weaving dreams.
How to get there? With a view to reaching Van Phuc village, tourists should travel south west out
of Ha Noi on Nguyen Trai Street until they reach the border of Ha Dong District. Then turn right and
dive for about 3km. The village is on the left, some 8 km from central Hanoi. Motorbike, bus, or
taxis are all of good use.
Visiting to Van Phuc silk village
Visiting Van Phuc today, we feel the asmothphere of a handicraft village on the way to
develop, hear the familiar clatter of shuttle driving melody, see villagers spinning under
moonlight. Products of Van Phuc has a typical traditional value which is considered as
symbol of traditional beauty.
Located on the bank of Nhue River, 10km from southwest of Hanoi Old Quarter, Van Phuc
village is renowned for its traditional weaving and premium quality silk products. At the age
of over 1,200 years, Van Phuc is proud to be the most ancient silk village which provides the
best silk in Vietnam.
Visitors in Vietnam tours visit Van Phuc village will be impressed by typical manner of an
ancient village in the north of Vietnam with banyan tree, well, communal house, and the
sound of power-looms everywhere. Walking on the main road in Van Phuc, tourists will be
lost in the world of silk with various products like shirts, ties, crafts, dresses made of silk
available in the village.
For a long period of time, silk was considered as extremely precious handwork which was
only used to tailor Royal members' and aristocrats dress. The special beauty of Van Phuc or
Ha Dong silk was inspiration for many Vietnamese poems, songs and movies (see The White
Silk Dress, one of the 5 most outstanding Vietnamese movies).
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 in Vietnam
tours 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.
Today, although the weaving has been mechanized for higher productivity, but there are still
simple manual looms in some houses in the village which help visitors contemplate the
genuinely traditional Vietnamese way of making silk.

The traditional silk at Van Phuc village
Dear girl with a blue belt
Would you like to come back Van Phuc with me
There has a banian stump
And it is famous for ponds and silk weaving
(folk song)
Van Phuc is situated on the bank of Nhue River, 10km from Hanoi on the
southwest motorway. The village is in the centre of Ha Dong Town, Ha Tay
Province, and the biggest silk production village in Vietnam. The sound of looms
has filled Van Phuc for a thousand years, and is a touching sound to villagers
when returning from far away.
The main road is surrounded by greenery and ponds, and colourful bolts of silk drying on
the road. In fact, the village`s fine silk, commonly known as Ha Dong Silk, has inspired
many poets and composers to write about its beauty.
The village is busy with activity and one can hear the sound of the newer power-looms in
every home. The days of working strenuously with traditional, manual looms are gone,
and the village's weavers each operate three large power-looms with a small electric
motor.
Design of Ha Dong silk patterns has been computerized, which allows designers to
reduce working time from 20 days to a just three days per pattern.
Following stories of Van Phuc artisans, the first Vietnamese silk maker was Princess
Hoang Phu Thieu Hoa, also known as Mo Nham. Daughter of King Hung Dinh Vuong -
King of the first Dynasty of Vietnam - she lived over 3000 years ago.
Thieu Hoa liked weaving, and she often travelled outside the palace to teach people to
farm silkworms and the fine art of weaving. When Thieu Hoa reached the age to marry,
her father wanted to marry her to a teacher. Thieu Hoa asked the King to delay the
wedding and moved to Co Sat village to live, and there she taught people to weave while
she worked as a farmer.
As a 32-year-old, she travelled the country to teach the arts of silk in more than 60
villages. She then returned to Co Sat, where she lived out her days.
Van Phuc, now has 730 households with 1,600 people earning a living by weaving silk.
The village stocks a wide variety of silk products, and ships goods all over Vietnam, as
well as exported overseas.
Customers can buy silk suited to their wallet. Fabric made of 50% silk sells for an
average of VND20,000 per meter, 75% silk for VND50,000, while 100% silk is priced
depending on the quality of pattern and fabric thickness.
Statistics show that 785 of all 1,343 households in Van Phuc commune take part in the
craft. Silk sales generate about VND27bil and make up 63% of the commune's economy
each year.
Given that each power-loom generates one weaving job (not including supplementary
jobs such as spinning, dyeing and yarn joining), the craft village can create more than
1,000 jobs each year.