Vietnam TravelTravel Special FeaturesVietnam - The Craft VillagesEmbroidery

Embroidery

Stroll along Hang Gai Street in Hanoi or Dong Khoi Street in Ho Chi Minh City and you'll see more dazzling examples of Vietnames embroidery paintings-landscapes, portraits or still-lifes, all executed in silk threads. Thousands of minuscule stitches make these pictures as sharp as photographs, while the soft shine of silk lends them a warm and lively glow. The man credited with introduction embroidery to Vietnam was Le Cong Hanh, a 17th century diplomat. Following a mission to Chine, Mr. Hanh returned to his native village of Quat Dong in the northern province of Ha tay and taught his fellow villagers to embroider. From Quat Dong, the craft spread to other villages in Ha Tay and Ninh Binh, and to the capital, Hanoi.

Embroidery guilds were established on Hanoi's Hang Trong (drum), Hang Chi (thread), Hang Non (conical hat) and Hang Manh (bamboo curtain) streets. Northern artisans built a shrine to Le Cong hanh at their communal house in Hanoi, located at 2A Yen Thai Street.

In Van Lam, a traditional embroidery village in Ninh Binh province, rows of women sit beneath a canvas awning in the courtyard of an old, tile-roofed house. Golden light filters down through the canvas, and the only sounds are the soft voices of the women and the occasional trill of a caged bird. All heads are bent, all eyes focused on the designs emerging beneath their skillful hands.

"My grandparents always did this work", says Vu Thi Yen, standing in the brick tiled courtyard of her parent's house. "My mother is 70 years old and has to wear glasses, but she still embroiders".

In the pas, embroidery villages supplied products to the imperial court. With no more demand for royal robes and turbans, the villagers of Van Lam have now set their sights on the export market.

"We plan to put our products on the Internet", explains Mrs. Yen, exhibiting the blend of skill and savvy that has kept this craft going for 500 years.

Getting There

For Van Lam village, take Highway 1 out of Hanoi towards Ninh Binh town, 93 km away. Turn west at the Tam Coc turn-off, then travel south-west for 9km to Tam Coc. When you reach the tourist boat pier at Tam Coc, cross Lim bridge, follow Van Lam Street for 500 meters and you will reach the entrance to the village.