Chuong Conical Hat Village: A village infused with Vietnamese soul
For Vietnamese farmers and women, conical hats are an inseparable part of their daily lives. And when talking about conical hats, we cannot help but mention Chuong village. Chuong Conical village possesses the nostalgic beauty of an old Vietnamese village connected to the renowned conical hat-making tradition that dates back longg time ago.
Chuong Conical Village is now a must-see cultural attraction when visiting the capital of Vietnam. Located not far from Hanoi, Chuong Conical Hat Village is a suitable selection for a meaningful excursion to explore the traditional values of the nation.
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Where is Chuong Conical Hat Village located?
Chuong Conical Hat Village is located in Quoc Trung commune, Thanh Oai district, about 30 kilometers from the city center of Hanoi. This village is also known as Thanh Oai village or Chuong village, famous for making “non quai thao” – a kind of flat balm hat with fringes and conical hats.
History of Chuong Conical Hat Village
As a long-standing craft village in Hanoi, no one knows exactly what year Chuong village started making hats. However, the elders in the village claim that the hat-making tradition dates back to the eighth century. At that time, Chuong village was called Trang Thi Trung, specializing in making all kinds of hats for almost all different classes in society.
During the development period, Chuong Village offers a wide variety of traditional hats, including conical and “non quai thao” hats. “Non quai thao” are used for the elderly to wear when they go to temples while conical hats are worn by women working in the fields.
In Chuong village, the craft of making conical hats has flourished over hundreds of years and passed down through many generations, making Chuong village become one of the most famous cradles of producing conical hats in Hanoi. Currently, there are more than 4,000 households in Chuong village making conical hats, offering affordable goods with intricate designs to both local and foreign consumers
>>> You also make a combine other ancient villages in Hanoi for your full day trip!
How to get to Chuong village
Chuong village can be reached from Highway 21B to the east of the village boundary and the Day River dyke road to the west of the village boundary.
To get to Chuong hat village, from the center of Hanoi, you travel through Ha Dong, to Ba La, then continue on Highway 21B to Kim Bai town of Thanh Oai district. From here, you can either turn onto the road down to the Day River dyke or continue along Highway 21B, turn right onto the inter-village road to reach the village. When you see Phuong Trung church, you are almost to the village and are about to start your journey to discover the hat-making tradition.
According to our experience, you should book a private car to get here, which is convenient, safe and eliminates any concerns about time constraints or rushing. It is also recommended to check out the list of the best travel companies in Hanoi to get the most useful information about your trip!
What makes a trip to Chuong village attractive?
With a history spanning over 1,000 years marked by ups and downs, Chuong Conical Hat Village in Thanh Oai, Hanoi boasts a varied array of heritage forms, such as temples, pagodas, palaces, shrines, family churches, parish churches, old wells, and craft-making families. Coming here allows visitors to engage in a variety of different activities in addition to learning about the traditional craft of hat-making in Chuong village.
>>> BOOK A Hanoi Handicraft Villages Full Day Tour to Explore Most Famous Hanoi’s Traditional Villages
Visit Chuong village communal house
The Chuong village communal house was constructed during the reign of King Thanh Thai the 6th, in the year Giap Ngo 1894. Chuong village communal house is located in a prime site quite close to the national highway and features “Noi cong ngoai quoc” structure, a typical architectural style of the Nguyen Dynasty with Dai Bai area, Central Hall and Rear Hall.
The architecture of the Dai Bai area will astound tourists as they pass through the four-pillared Nghi Mon gate and the spacious courtyard of the Chuong village community house. The Dai Bai area’s supporting pillar system is constructed entirely of old, solid-core ironwood trees, intricately carved with dragons and four sacred creatures (dragon, unicorn, turtle, and phoenix), as well as four gentlemen’s paintings (pine, chrysanthemum, bamboo and apricot).
Three tigers, symbolizing freedom in traditional folk art, are painted on the wall in front of the communal house’s yard. The Central Hall and the Rear Hall of Chuong village have a similar structure, built in a two-storey roof style. Nowadays, the communal house of Chuong village still preserves and displays many ancient horizontal panels, scrolls, and couplets…
Stroll around Chuong village
Chuong Village has an ancient, time-stained look typical of ancient villages in Hanoi. From the small alleys to each house with old tiled roofs, it creates a nostalgic and peaceful feature in the Northern countryside. This place attracts tourists with many virtual living corners. Any angle, just hold up the camera and you can take a set of beautiful, sparkling virtual photos.
Chuong Village is drawn not only by its ancient beauty but also by the conical hat craft village’s cultural attractiveness. As a traditional Vietnamese artisan community, when walking around the village, you will see people creating beautiful Vietnamese conical hats in a variety of shapes. For any traveler visiting Vietnam, this is undoubtedly a worthwhile experience
Witness the process of making traditional conical hats
The conical hats of Chuong village have been famous for many generations thanks to the sophistication and meticulousness of the people here. When you come to Chuong village, you may witness the incredibly intricate, handcrafted hat-making process, which starts with selecting the materials and ends with the exquisite final decoration.
Participate in making conical hats
In addition to visiting, you have the opportunity to create your own conical hats, which is an incredibly fascinating experience for anyone interested in learning more about these hats. Simply get a hat from 30,000 VND, and everyone may create your own hat and enjoy this activity
Chuong village market – A should-not-miss location in Chuong village
Chuong village market is open daily, with six sessions held on the 4, 10, 14, 20, 24 and 30 of the lunar calendar each month for the conical hat market. The market mainly sells hats and some hat-making materials. The Chuong village market starts quite early as at 6 in the morning, a large number of villagers had already arrived to make purchases.
There is excitement in the air surrounding the market and homes as people bring their family’s goods to sell. The market is busy and lively when it first opens and quickly disperses after roughly three hours. Therefore, to experience the lively ambiance of the conical hat market, you should aim to arrive early in the morning. You undoubtedly will be captivated by the distinctive way of life there. The people of Chuong village have followed this market routine for many generations, but exactly when they started is unknown. This is truly a unique value identity of Chuong village
Take part in festivals of Chuong village
You will be able to take part in Chuong Hat Village’s largest celebration if you are able to visit during the lunar month of March. This festival lasts from the 9th to the 11th of the lunar March. Traditionally, people will take a procession from the entrance of the village to its end.
In addition to the March lunar festival, you can visit the village on January 10 to take part in the village fair. In the past, the market served as a hub for numerous regional folklore activities in addition to being a location to buy and sell items. As the biggest fair in Ha Dong province, which is now a part of Hanoi, there will be a lot of exciting things for you to experience on a fairly large scale.
For the most comprehensive experience of the craft village during your one-day trip in Hanoi, you can combine a visit to Quang Phu Cau incense village with your half-day tour to Chuong village.
Please contact the Hanoi Explore Travel Team right away to have the most detailed itinerary for you!
What to eat in Chuong Village?
The “banh cuon” dish, which is favored by both locals and visitors to Chuong Conical Hat Village, is highly well-known throughout the area. Furthermore, “banh duc” with peanuts is another item available at Chuong market. It is a common delicacy that has links to people’s life and is sold at numerous market sessions.
When you visit Chuong Conical Hat Village, you will not only gain insightful travel experiences but you will also feel the friendly hospitality of the locals. Most importantly, by coming to Chuong village, you are also supporting the preservation of their traditional crafts. And if possible, don’t forget to purchase a conical hat here to bring home as a present for your loved ones.
