Unique incense making village of Quang Phu Cau, Hanoi

With the craftsmen's acumen, the idea of building craft village tourism has become a reality at the incense making village of Quang Phu Cau, Hanoi.

Độc đáo làng nghề làm hương Quảng Phú Cầu, Hà Nội

With its impressive beauty and centuries-old history, Quang Phu Cau incense village in Hanoi has been noticed and reported by the international press. (Source: Tuoi Tre)

Quang Phu Cau Commune is located in Ung Hoa District, about 35km south of Hanoi center. Recently, Quang Phu Cau has become a popular check-in spot for many people because of its unique and colorful countryside scenery.

In the early 20th century, the people of Quang Phu Cau mainly made a living by weaving baskets, fans, mats... Once, Mr. Le Xuan Vinh of Phu Luong Thuong village went to buy bamboo to split into strips and met a merchant who was buying incense sticks.

When rolling, Huong Quang Phu Cau must be rolled gently and firmly and must be dried in enough sunlight. (Source: Vinpearl)

Mr. Le Xuan Vinh raised the issue of splitting incense sticks to sell to traders. Small incense stick splitting models from Phu Luong Thuong village were brought to Phu Luong Ha village (Mr. Le Xuan Vinh's wife's hometown), then gradually developed strongly, spreading to 6 villages in the whole commune with the participation of thousands of workers inside and outside the locality.

The profession of making incense sticks has been passed down from father to son, maintained and developed to this day, becoming the main source of income for the people and supporting job creation for workers in neighboring communes.

International tourists enjoy the experience at the craft village. (Source: TITC)

To serve people's tastes, the owners have arranged incense sticks into symbols, such as flowers, 5-pointed stars... for tourists to check-in.

Since then, Quang Phu Cau people have changed their production methods. Instead of splitting toothpicks by hand, each day the worker splits about 50-60kg of wet toothpicks, but with machines, a day can produce 2-3 quintals of dry toothpicks.

To ensure the quality of incense sticks, the village's workshops must depend heavily on weather conditions. (Source: Vinpearl)

Quality toothpicks are dyed before being used in incense production. The incense sticks are usually dyed lotus pink or bright red, the incense body is yellow. According to Eastern beliefs, yellow and red are colors that symbolize luck and fortune.

Making incense is a profession that depends a lot on the weather. After rolling the incense, it must be dried carefully. The incense sticks must be placed in a high, clean place, away from moisture. If it is the rainy season with strong north winds, a drying oven must be used.

The colorful incense drying yards also attract the attention of visitors to the village. (Source: Nhan Dan)

Sun-drying incense sticks is safe and secure, only using a drying oven is necessary. Dry sunshine is the "golden" weather for incense makers and incense sticks. The colorful incense stick drying yards have attracted the attention of visitors to the village. More and more photographers and tourists come to Quang Phu Cau.

From a chance encounter of Mr. Le Xuan Vinh, the incense and incense stick production profession of Quang Phu Cau has increasingly developed, becoming a characteristic of Hanoi's craft village. Quang Phu Cau incense and incense stick products are present in all provinces and cities and exported to countries such as China, India, Malaysia...

To serve the tastes of the people, the owners of the establishments have arranged the incense sticks into symbols, such as flowers, 5-pointed stars... for tourists to check-in. (Source: Nhan Dan)

Incense is a product that serves the needs of religious worship, the fragrant, light incense creates a sacred atmosphere, but behind that are many hardships, difficulties, love for the profession and the heart of the craftsman. In the face of the wave of industrialization, many traditional craft villages have gradually disappeared, but the incense making profession in Quang Phu Cau still exists and is increasingly developing.

Artisan Nguyen Thu Phuong (Quang Nguyen village) is known as a typical example of the young generation continuing the traditional flame of her homeland. Her incense factory has been recognized with 4 3-star OCOP products including Tu Bi Huong agarwood incense, Tu Bi Huong cinnamon incense, Tu Bi Huong soapberry incense, and Tu Bi Huong herbal incense; 4 products recognized as 4-star OCOP products are Tu Bi Huong agarwood buds, Tu Bi Huong agarwood buds, Tu Bi Huong cinnamon buds, and Tu Bi Huong coil incense. These are the first products recognized as OCOP products of Quang Phu Cau commune.

Except for rainy days, all year round, every house and alley is bright red with the color of incense sticks and incense sticks. (Source: VNP)

With the acumen of the craftsmen, the idea of building craft village tourism has become a reality in the countryside of Quang Phu Cau. At the end of 2022, the first incense stick photography spot appeared in Cau Bau village, attracting a large number of tourists to visit and take photos, marking a turning point in the development of the local economy , opening a new direction for the craft village economy.

Currently, Quang Phu Cau commune has two craft village tourist attractions, attracting 150-300 visitors per day, including many foreigners. A cultural beauty is clearly depicted in the village on the outskirts of Hanoi.