Vietnam's craft villages: ceramics, silk and living tradition

Vietnam has around 5,000 craft villages. Potters, weavers, bronze casters, incense makers — in some families the craft has passed from parent to child for 500, even 1,200 years. Two of them, Bat Trang and Van Phuc, hold the World Craft Village title from the World Crafts Council. These are not museum exhibits: people live, work and sell here. You can sit down at a pottery wheel, throw a slightly lopsided vase and take it home.

Some of these villages have gone commercial — a few now have more souvenir stalls than looms. But the real work is still there once you know where to look. This guide covers five villages from Hanoi to Hoi An, with workshop prices, coordinates, how to get there, ready-made routes, and an honest take on whether each is worth the trip.

• Bat Trang (Bát Tràng): Ceramics, 500+ years — World Craft Village, free entry. 13 km from Hanoi
• Van Phuc (Vạn Phúc): Silk, 1,200+ years — World Craft Village, free entry. 10 km from Hanoi
• Thanh Ha (Thanh Hà): Pottery — 3 km from Hoi An Old Town
• Quang Phu Cau (Quảng Phú Cầu): Incense, 100+ years — 35 km from Hanoi
• Phuoc Kieu (Phước Kiều): Bronze casting, 400+ years — near Hoi An

Bat Trang — the pottery capital of Vietnam

The village of Bát Tràng sits on the left bank of the Red River, 13 km from central Hanoi. Potters have worked here for more than 500 years, and they have never stopped. This is a working industry with a global name, not a tourist stage set.

What to see and do

The Bat Trang Ceramics Museum — four floors of history, from ancient vessels to modern design. Ticket: 60,000 VND (~$2.40).

A pottery-wheel class — you sit at the wheel and a master shows you how to shape the clay. Your piece is dried and fired over a couple of days, so you will not get it straight away: collect it later or have it delivered. Cost: 70,000 VND (~$2.80) for adults, 50,000 VND (~$2) for kids.

The ceramics market — dozens of stalls with tableware, vases and figurines. Prices run from 20,000 VND (~$0.80) for a cup to several million for artisan pieces. Bargaining is fine and expected.

The Bat Trang signature look is dark glazes and blue-violet motifs. You will spot it at a glance.

How to get there from Hanoi

• Bus 47A from Long Bien — 7,000 VND (~$0.30), about 45 minutes
• Taxi / Grab — 150,000–250,000 VND (~$6–10), 30–40 minutes
• Organised tour (Bat Trang + Van Phuc) — from $25 for a full day

For the rest of the capital, see the full guide to Hanoi and the list of Hanoi attractions.

Van Phuc — the silk village

1,200 years. That is how long the weavers of Vạn Phúc have made silk on wooden looms. The village lies 10 km southwest of central Hanoi, in the Ha Dong ward (phường Hà Đông), and holds World Craft Village status alongside Bat Trang.

This is where the fabric for the áo dài — the national Vietnamese dress — is woven. You can step into a workshop and watch a pattern emerge from the threads. The process is hypnotic; some visitors stand for half an hour just watching the loom work.

What to buy

The quality is higher than the souvenir shops of central Hanoi, and prices are lower. Many workshops will tailor to order in 1–3 days.

How to get there

Bus 01 from Hanoi station, then a change. Simpler: a taxi for 200,000–250,000 VND (~$8–10). It pairs neatly with Bat Trang on a single day trip.

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Thanh Ha — the pottery of Hoi An

Three kilometres from Hoi An Old Town and you are in another world. The village of Thanh Hà has made ceramics for several centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries, when Hoi An was the biggest trading port in Southeast Asia, Japanese and Chinese merchants bought its wares. Today it produces a wide range of pieces, from religious figurines to ceramic masks and wall lamps.

The workshop

Sit at the wheel or shape a figure by hand — from 30,000 VND (~$1.20). Your piece is fired while you wait. There is a separate area for kids to work soft clay. The results come out a little wonky, but heartfelt.

This one wasn’t mechanized, so it had to be turned by foot. One sister would shape the clay with her hands while the other turned the wheelMikhaila, Global Field Trip, 2015

Fitting it into your route

From Hoi An it is a 15-minute bike ride (rental from 30,000 VND a day) or a 40-minute walk along the river. Pair it with the Old Town and the rest of Hoi An, or with a hands-on craft workshop in Hoi An.

Allow 1.5–2 hours for a look around and a class.

Quang Phu Cau — the incense village

Red, yellow and blue sticks laid out on the ground in perfect circles, like giant flowers. The village of Quảng Phú Cầu, 35 km from central Hanoi, has become one of the most photogenic spots in Vietnam. Behind the pretty picture lie 100 years of handwork.

The incense from Quang Phu Cau uses only plant ingredients: agarwood, cedar, cinnamon, cypress. No chemicals. The process: mix a paste, roll it onto a bamboo stick, dry it in the sun. A single family turns out thousands of sticks a day.

When to go

The best time for photos is the morning, when the sticks are laid out to dry; by midday they are gathered up. Just before Tet (Vietnamese New Year, January–February) the village runs flat out — the brightest shots of the year.

How to get there

A taxi from Hanoi is about 400,000 VND (~$16), 45–50 minutes. Public transport is awkward. The village sits in the same southern belt as the Perfume Pagoda (Chùa Hương), so the two are often bundled into one day trip — though the pagoda is another 20-odd km further out, a real detour rather than a quick stop.

Phuoc Kieu — bronze casting

The village of Phước Kiều, near Hoi An, has cast bronze for more than 400 years. The Quang Nam province it is usually filed under no longer exists: on 1 July 2025 it was merged into Da Nang. The main output is ritual objects: urns, candlesticks, censers. But its real pride is the gong — the bronze percussion instrument at the heart of every ceremony of the highland peoples of central Vietnam.

The casting is a spectacle: molten metal is poured into clay moulds made on the spot, with the craftsmen working at over 1,000 degrees. You can watch if you arrange it in advance.

The village is near Hoi An and pairs easily with Thanh Ha. An hour is enough for a visit.

What to bring home from the craft villages

More ideas in our guide to what to buy in Vietnam.

Routes through the craft villages

Route 1: Hanoi — three villages in 1–2 days

Day 1: Morning — Bat Trang (bus 47A, 45 min). Class, market, museum (3–4 hours). After lunch — Van Phuc (taxi 30 min). Silk workshops (1.5–2 hours).

Day 2 (optional): Quang Phu Cau in the morning (before 10:00, while the sticks are drying). Back in Hanoi by lunchtime.

Route 2: Hoi An — two villages in half a day

By bike from the Old Town: Thanh Ha (1.5 hours), then Phuoc Kieu (1 hour). Back by lunch, then spend the afternoon in Hoi An itself.

The combined option

If you are flying Hanoi → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City (the classic route), both fit easily: the Hanoi villages in your first days, the Hoi An villages mid-trip.

For more excursion ideas, see our guide to tours in Vietnam.

Practical tips

Best time. Workshops work in the morning — arrive by 8:00–9:00. By lunchtime some artisans break off. Just before Tet (January–February) the villages are especially busy, prepping goods for the holiday.

Language. English is not spoken everywhere. In Bat Trang, yes; in Quang Phu Cau, probably not. A few basic Vietnamese phrases help — or take a guided tour.

Transport. There is no direct bus between the Hanoi villages. The best option is a taxi for the half day (agree the whole route with the driver, ~600,000–800,000 VND / ~$24–32). For the Hoi An villages, use a bike.

Fragile buys. Ceramics get wrapped in bubble wrap, but they still break in checked luggage. Ask for double wrapping or carry them on. In Bat Trang some shops offer international shipping.

FAQ

The best-known village has its own guide: Bat Trang pottery village, with logistics, prices and classes.