Famous blacksmith village in the North

The sound of anvils and hammers pounding the air rhythmically and resonantly; the forges still have red-hot fires all year round; the people who are diligent and devoted to the product that is famous for being the "number one knife and scissors" Da Sy (Kien Hung ward, Ha Dong district, Hanoi) today seems to carry within itself a new vitality, the vitality of a unique, hundred-year-old craft village that attracts foreign tourists , of young people who persistently preserve the craft and beautify it.

Products of Da Si blacksmith village

1. In a simple, neat army uniform, the old artisan strides on the village road amidst the sounds of hammers, anvils, grinding, etc. hitting the air as if marking - this is the famous Da Sy blacksmith village.

Follow artisan Dinh Cong Doan around the capital of blacksmithing. Witness the “blacksmith village in the city” and be amazed. In the heart of the splendid capital, nestled by the Nhue River, a diligent and simple life of labor by the firelight of the Da Sy blacksmith village. Among thousands of “Western and Chinese” knife and fork products, the vitality of a traditional blacksmith village is still persistent.

Forged products of Da Sy village are rich in variety and design, famous for their durability, sharpness, and hardness, surpassing any other products in the Northern Delta. Generation after generation, Da Sy blacksmiths have taught each other to take care of each product, to preserve their reputation, their profession, and their ancestors' legacy...

Da Sy blacksmith village has a history of hundreds of years and has been creating jobs and bringing stable income to hundreds of local households. Currently, about 70% of households are participating in the traditional blacksmithing of the village, each household usually specializes in one type of product. There are about 20 skilled craftsmen in the village. About a dozen people have been awarded the title of artisan. The products of Da Sy blacksmith village are very durable thanks to the skillful steel tempering technique of skilled and experienced craftsmen with knives that can "cut iron", which is the pride of the people here.

The artisan is at a rare age, walking leisurely, telling stories about the village and himself, passionately and proudly, but also filled with concerns for a sustainable direction for the profession.

Having left his youth on the battlefield, spending most of his life with the traditional blacksmithing profession, witnessing the ups and downs of the profession and the blacksmiths, artisan Dinh Cong Doan - Vice President of the Da Sy Village Craft Village Association always wondered how to apply technology to the profession to reduce labor, improve productivity and product design; how to plan the area for the craft village to expand the area, expand production, limit environmental impact, and meet market demand; and how to prevent counterfeit and poor quality goods from entering the craft village;...

The happiest thing about the village in recent years is that more and more young people continue to follow their ancestors' footsteps and persistently pursue the profession, reviving the traditional craft village, bringing new life to Da Sy.

Products of Da Si blacksmith village

2. A new direction - combining the preservation of traditional crafts with tourism development... The 40-degree heat of Hanoi in August and the blazing furnace combined, the entire forge was like a steaming furnace. After nearly two hours of meticulously modeling, practicing, and instructing a medical student from France on the 12 stages of knife making, sweat was pouring down but the face of the young artisan Le Ngoc Lam remained calm.

Not only good at his job, artisan Le Ngoc Lam is also one of the young pioneers in free experiential tourism. He is willing to spend time and effort to organize on a large scale, build a specific experience schedule for each stage to attract tourists. Explaining this, the young artisan confided that, being attached to the profession, he understands that every profession has its own advantages. The blacksmithing profession in his village has been famous and unique since ancient times. People only know about knives and scissors, but they do not know that to create those finished products, there are so many stages and so many new things in them.

“In fact, there are craft villages that do very well in tourism. For example, silk villages, pottery villages, etc. Currently, many traditional crafts are at risk of being lost, because traditional products face many difficulties when competing with modern products. Finding a way to “keep the fire” of traditional crafts, I think is very necessary,” Mr. Lam shared.

Today, the traditional craft village of Da Sy knives and scissors is very different. In addition to the sound of anvils, hammers, and customers, the craft village also welcomes foreign visitors to visit and experience.

At Mr. Le Ngoc Lam's workshop, foreign tourists are flocking in. They are extremely interested in the traditional blacksmithing profession here when they get to experience working with blacksmiths, forging knives and scissors themselves as souvenirs.

Coming to Da Sy village, visitors cannot help but be surprised by the image of people from old to young, both men and women can perform the stages of blacksmithing, a profession of hard labor that "makes your ears tired". The sound of hammers, steel cutting machines mixed with the chatter of the workers seems to dispel the hardship of the profession.

Fascinated by the fire, by the workers, by the enthusiastic young artisan, French medical student Thomas Fouvry enthusiastically followed artisan Le Ngoc Lam to experience things that he said he had “never seen before”, “so unique, new and fascinating”, admiring the labor and creativity of the people here. His clothes were dirty and soaked with sweat, but on the face of this special guest, joy was evident.

In many different ways, the artisans of the traditional craft village of Da Sy are making efforts to promote and bring their products further and closer to international partners. And experiential tourism is bringing a new vitality to the “first in Hanoi” knife and cutlery craft village of Da Sy, towards sustainable development.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/du-lich/202411/lang-ren-noi-danh-dat-bac-82c300f/