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Discover the art of mother-of-pearl inlay at Chuon Ngo Village and explore the vibrant Quang Phu Cau Incense Village on a guided tour from Hanoi.

Highlights

• Discover the art of mother-of-pearl inlay at Chuon Ngo Village
• Visit a local workshop and see the intricate process of creating nacre inlay
• Learn about the history of the craft, passed down through generations
• Explore Quang Phu Cau Incense Village and see the vibrant incense sticks
• Support local craftsmanship and help preserve this cultural heritage

Description

Begin your journey with a convenient pickup from your hotel in Hanoi. Head to Chuon Ngo village, located in Chuyen My commune of Phu Xuyen district, about 32 kilometers south of Hanoi. This village is renowned for its traditional craftsmanship of mother-of-pearl inlay. Learn about the history of the craft, which was passed on to Chuon Ngo villagers by Truong Cong Thanh, a mandarin of the Ly dynasty. Discover how, after helping General Ly Thuong Kiet defeat the Sung aggressors, he returned to the village and taught the villagers how to insert pieces of mussel and snail shells into wooden objects to create handicraft items. Visit a local workshop and see the intricate process of creating nacre inlay products. Watch as artisans select raw materials, design, draw, saw, inlay, carve, and polish their creations. Learn how mussels and sea snail shells are traditional sources of materials for crafting nacre inlay products. See how the villagers also use shells of silver-lipped pearl oysters and other types of oysters from various parts of the country, as well as abalones imported from Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore. Among the imported raw materials, red abalone shells, with abundant shades of red, are considered the best. Watch as the craftsman selects suitable seashell slabs and saws them into desired shapes. In order to saw tiny details of exquisite patterns such as chrysanthemum petals, butterfly legs, bee legs, and shrimp antennae, the craftsman uses a special saw with the blade made from a hairspring. This step demands exceptional patience, skillful hands, and great attention as a single nacre inlay product may consist of thousands of fragile nacre pieces. After that, see how the pieces are roughly assembled and attached to the dry wooden surface with rice paper glue and their positions are marked in order to provide a clearer picture of what the finished product will look like. Once completing the carving, the craftsman applies layers of sap extracted from the wax tree, Rhus succedanea, a native plant grown in Phu Tho province, to a side of the seashell pieces and embeds them in the wooden surface. The process continues with the wax tree sap applied to the outer lines of intricate patterns. The craftsman then uses a tanto blade knife to carve these lines to highlight the vivid details. The wooden surface is subsequently polished with sandpaper. Admire the diverse range of Chuon Ngo mother-of-pearl inlay products, from horizontal boards and pairs of parallel sentences hung in pagodas and temples, to furniture, home decor, and utensils. Next, visit the incense-making village of Quang Phu Cau. See rows of vividly dyed incense sticks arranged like blooming flowers, creating a surreal, colorful landscape. This photogenic setting is a dream for photographers and Instagram lovers alike. Observe artisans hand-dyeing bamboo sticks and drying incense under the sun. Learn about the traditional incense-making methods passed down for generations.

Includes

Hotel pickup and drop off in Hanoi Visit to Chuon Ngo village Visit to a local workshop Observation of nacre inlay process Visit to Quang Phu Cau Incense Village

Important Information

• The tour involves visiting traditional craft villages Photography opportunities available at the Incense Village Support local craftsmanship by purchasing products

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund