Incense village in Vietnam is loved by the Instagram travel community

Quang Phu Cau incense village is not only a new "check-in" spot on Instagram, but it is also one of the villages that preserves the traditional incense stick making profession of Vietnam.

In a small village in northern Vietnam, Dang Thi Hoa ties a bundle of freshly dried incense sticks ahead of the Lunar New Year and watches as lines of tourists line up to pose for photos.

Ms. Dang Thi Hoa, a member of a three-generation incense-making family in Quang Phu Cau, said that traditional Vietnamese incense sticks are often dyed bright red or purple-pink before Tet.

But since becoming a tourist destination, regularly visited by domestic and foreign tourists, her family and many other households living and working in Quang Phu Cau incense village have designed many different color schemes such as yellow, blue and green to create the most eye-catching frames for tourists to take photos and post on Instagram.

Red incense bouquets in the village.

In front of a village temple, hundreds of colorful bundles of incense sticks are dried in the sun and arranged into the shape of a giant map of Vietnam.

Ms. Hoa (45 years old), who has been involved in the traditional incense making profession for three decades, said:

“Our village has now become a unique tourist destination attracting visitors from all over the world.”

Thanks to that, local people also have a large additional income from "check-in" photography activities in this village with traditional cultural features of the Northern Delta countryside.

Many young tourists often come to Quang Phu Cau incense village to create photo frames.

Many young tourists often come to Quang Phu Cau incense village to create "million-view" frames on Instagram.

For 50,000 VND (about 2 USD), tourists can freely take photos with the incense bundles of the factory. Each bundle costs about 10,000 VND for 20 incense sticks. A nearby house has also built a metal staircase so that visitors can take better photos from above.

Speaking to AFP, Nguyen Huu Long said his family was extremely busy with orders piling up before Tet, the time when people often flock to pagodas to burn incense or worship at their family altars at home.

Tet is the time when Quang Phu Cau incense village enters the new year.

Tet is the time when Quang Phu Cau incense village enters the "peak season" of production and tourism.

Even though it is the workshop's peak busy season, he still ensures that there are always staff accompanying the tour guide so that tourists have the most satisfying experience when visiting the incense village.

“I assign one or two people to help tourists find the best “virtual living” angle and avoid them pushing the incense sticks that are drying,” Mr. Long (58 years old) added.

Not only is it a famous domestic "check-in" location, the colorful beauty of this traditional incense village is also highly appreciated by foreign tourists.

Ms. Catherine Caro, a Filipino tourist, expressed:

“This place is beautiful, very colorful and really Instagrammable.”

The vividness and colorfulness of the incense bouquets are the highlight that attracts the attention of the travel-loving community on Instagram. Photo: ST.

The vibrant, colorful bouquets of incense are the highlight that attracts the attention of the travel-loving community on Instagram.

Quang Phu Cau, located on the outskirts of Hanoi , is one of several villages across Vietnam that preserves the traditional incense trade, with many families living in small alleys engaged in dyeing, drying and whittling bamboo to make incense sticks.

To create the finished product for consumers, the full process includes shaving bamboo into a trimming machine, dipping thin bamboo sticks into a vat of colorful dye, rolling incense, and drying naturally by spreading it out on the road like a bouquet of flowers.

“I am very proud of my family’s traditional profession… and also very happy that our village is becoming more and more known. Thanks to that, I have the opportunity to increase my income,” Ms. Hoa happily said.

Quang Phu Cau incense village is a familiar tourist destination in Hanoi for those who love to travel. The village is only about 35km from the center of the capital. This destination is located in Quang Phu Cau commune, Ung Hoa district, with a history of making incense sticks for more than a century.

Quang Phu Cau Incense Village is an attractive tourist destination that operates all year round but is especially bustling during Tet. You can visit and take beautiful photos here in any season of the year. However, Tet and summer are the best choices. The bright yellow sunlight highlights the bright red incense bundles and creates the best light for you to save beautiful memories.

(According to 24h, February 22, 2024)

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