Viet Nam News
Located in Phuong Trung Commune, Thanh Oai District, about 30km from the centre of Ha Noi, Chuong is famous in northern Viet Nam for making non la (conical hat).
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| Traditional trade: The village nowadays is frequented by visitors not only to buy hats but to see how the hats are made. |
For centuries, the village has been well-known for its traditional craft – hat-making. The village has maintained the quality and original characteristics of the headwear.
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| Ready to craft: Palm leaves, one of the materials used to make conical hats are on sale at the market. |
In ancient times, conical hats were made for princesses and royalty as decorative items. The village nowadays is frequented by visitors not only looking to buy hats but also to see how the hats are made.
It takes a lot of time and effort to make the hats. Green palm leaves are brought from central provinces. The leaves need processing and are then dried in the sun. Weaving the leaves into the shape of the hat takes an expert. Each hat needs 15 rounds of weaving.
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| For sale: Chuong Village is bustling with activity on market days. VNS Photos Viet Thanh |
Traditionally, conical hats are all the same size. But these days, with more tourists seeking them out, hats are made in various sizes, from very small ones (for souvenirs) to larger versions.
Children in this village also know how to make conical hats. They take advantage of the time after harvest to make the hats. This helps villagers increase their incomes, improve living standards and contribute to bettering their home village.
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| Famous: The village has been known for centuries thanks to its high-quality hats. |
When travelling to Chuong Village, visitors should choose a suitable day to enjoy all the interesting things here. The village has six market days: the 4th, 10th, 14th, 20th, 24th and 30th of every lunar month. From early morning, under the old banyan tree, white hats can be seen everywhere. Materials to make the hats are also on sale.
Next to the Day River, visitors can easily get to the village by motorbike. From the city, just go along Highway 6 to Hoa Binh, cross the Ba La Crossroads, then turn left along the road to Huong Temple, cross Kim Bai Town about 2km then turn right at the crossroads. — VNS