At Kim Bong carpentry village, artisans freely breathe life into wood and create exquisite, high-value products. Visiting the carpentry village for a day, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about this unique traditional craft village and directly participate in interesting and exciting experiences.
1. Where is Kim Bong Carpentry Village and how to get to the village?
Kim Bong Carpentry Village (also known as Kim Bong Chau) is a traditional craft village very close to Hoi An ancient town. To get here, visitors can choose from a variety of means of transport, from cycling, motorbikes or boats, which are also very new and interesting:
- Travel by bicycle/motorbike: cross Cam Kim bridge over Thu Bon river, go about 3km to Kim Bong carpentry village.
- Travel by boat/boat: from the ferry station in the old town, go south (Bach Dang riverside road) and then take the Hoi An - Cam Kim boat route. When arriving, visitors walk a short distance and will see the gate of Kim Bong carpentry village appear before their eyes.
- Address: Nong Thon street, Trung Ha village, Cam Kim commune, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province
- Reference operating hours: All day, from Monday to Sunday
- Reference tour ticket price: Free
2. What is special about traveling to Kim Bong carpentry village?
Learn about the more than 600-year-old traditional history of Kim Bong carpentry village
Kim Bong carpentry village began focusing on carpentry from the 16th century and went through many stages of strong development following the bustling trade rhythm of Hoi An port town. During this period, Hoi An interacted extensively with foreign countries, "absorbing" different carpentry styles, creating a premise for a unique nuance of Kim Bong carpentry in Hoi An.
By the 18th century, the village had formed three distinct occupational groups: construction carpentry, boatbuilding carpentry and civil carpentry. In addition, the profession of masonry, painting and carving mascots also contributes to making the village's name known far and wide
Today, although the golden age has passed, the craftsmen of Kim Bong carpentry village who love their profession still maintain their old lifestyle, joining hands to restore and preserve Hoi An ancient town relics and travel everywhere to build Build traditional 3-compartment houses and ancient houses. Besides, handicraft carpentry also developed more when the village began to open to welcome tourists.
To explore the village, visitors can rent bicycles to ride around, visit the people's professional life or visit the family church. In particular, visitors also have the opportunity to see and experience the process of weaving bamboo, weaving mats and making cakes.
Directly observe the process of making wooden products by carpentry artists
When first entering the village, the first thing that impresses visitors is the sound of chisels, knocks, and clangs typical of carpentry. This is also a familiar sound and an indispensable part of the lives of the people here.
Visiting Kim Bong carpentry village is also an opportunity for visitors to have a more realistic and clear perspective on carpentry. The most impressive thing is being able to directly observe the stages of producing a wooden product. And to create a complete product, many different complicated steps are required. Some people create the body, others portray the soul so that each finished product is not only useful but also delicate, beautiful and culturally valuable.
The main products here include: the quartet of dragon - unicorn - turtle - phoenix, dancing peacocks, saints and even household items such as tables, chairs, altar cabinets, etc. Not only that, the The artisans here also have experience in building guild halls, pagodas, village communal houses, churches, interior and exterior buildings or "everything" related to wooden furniture.
Enjoy the unique beauty of Kim Bong carpentry village's wooden products
After observing the process of creating wooden products by carpenters, visitors can take some time to admire the beauty of the finished products. If you pay close attention, you will see that the motifs and patterns carved on each product reflect the unique culture of Hoi An people.
These include: images of buffaloes, farmers, boats, bamboo trees, Cau Pagoda... All are carved simply, extremely rustic and intimate. This not only creates uniqueness for products from Kim Bong carpentry village, but also makes visitors extremely curious and excited.
In addition, the wooden products of Kim Bong carpentry village also have an extremely durable material with a characteristic shiny brown color, creating wooden panels with different color angles that sometimes create a luxurious feeling, sometimes not. Extremely rustic. Thanks to the techniques of embossing, filigree, and perforation from skilled and skillful hands, the artisans have created a world of natural and enchanting wooden furniture.
Buy carpentry village gifts for relatives
With a traditional craft village that has existed for hundreds of years like Kim Bong village, the most meaningful thing is not only to come directly to see the creative process of the people but also to buy a few souvenirs to take home as gifts.
If in the past the main occupation of the village was boat building and house construction, now the main focus is on the production of fine arts items, reliefs, wooden couplets, decorative statues, worship items... Visitors can Choose to buy a few things as souvenirs of your trip to Hoi An.
Enjoy Hoi An specialties at Kim Bong carpentry village
Because Kim Bong carpentry village is not too far from the old town, located right on the bank of Thu Bon river, visitors can combine visiting the village first, then moving to the old town center to walk and enjoy cuisine. In Hoi An, there are many attractive specialties such as: cao lau, chicken rice, Phuong bread, stir-fried mussel cake... and countless other attractive snacks. All have created Hoi An ancient town an attractive and unique culinary space.
3. Suggested attractive tourist destinations near Kim Bong carpentry village
After having a meaningful and enjoyable time in the craft village, if desired, visitors can visit some nearby places such as: Hoi An ancient town, Thanh Ha pottery village (4.8km away), Triem Tay garden house eco-tourism area (3.2km away), Huynh Ri ancient house (1km away)... These are places that are not too far away and convenient for tourists to go and return within the same day.
4. Experience in traveling to Kim Bong carpentry village
- Every year on the 6th day of the first lunar month, there is a death anniversary ceremony for the founder of Kim Bong carpentry village, so if you travel during this time, you will have more opportunities to experience and explore.
- There is always a bicycle rental service in the village, so if you don't want to walk, you can rent a bike to go around the village, sightseeing and enjoying local rustic dishes.
- Because the craft village is quite large, visitors should pay attention to preparing comfortable clothes, walking shoes, bring an umbrella, and sunscreen to protect their skin.