Behind the timeless beauty of Hoi An Ancient Town stands a ring of centuries-old traditional craft villages along the Thu Bon River. Visiting these living workshops lets your family meet master artisans, try your hand at pottery or lantern making, and experience peaceful Quang Nam countryside life.
1. Tra Que Vegetable & Herb Village (Lang Rau Tra Que)
Located just 3 km north of the Old Town on route to An Bang Beach, Tra Que Village is over 300 years old and famous for cultivating more than 20 varieties of aromatic herbs (basil, mint, perilla, Vietnamese coriander) using nutrient-rich seaweed harvested from the local lagoon instead of chemical fertilizers.
- Top Experiences: Stroll or cycle along the green garden paths, wear a conical hat to water the beds with traditional shoulder poles, enjoy an herbal foot soak, and join a farm-to-table cooking class making Banh Xeo and Tam Huu spring rolls.
2. Thanh Ha Pottery Village (Lang Gom Thanh Ha)
Situated 3 km west of the Ancient Quarter on the banks of the Thu Bon River, Thanh Ha Pottery Village has fired terracotta roof tiles, bowls, and decorative ceramics since the 16th century.
- Top Experiences: Watch artisans spin clay on foot-powered wheels, shape your own small clay animal or bowl to keep, and explore the Thanh Ha Terracotta Park—Vietnam’s largest ceramic museum featuring miniature terracotta replicas of world wonders.
3. Kim Bong Carpentry Village & Silk Lantern Making
- Kim Bong Carpentry Village (Lang Moc Kim Bong): Located just across the river on Cam Kim Island, Kim Bong master woodcarvers built the merchant houses and wooden ships of historic Faifo and even contributed to the Imperial Citadel in Hue.
- Silk Lantern Workshops (Lam Den Long Hoi An): Inside town or in nearby workshops, a 1-hour hands-on class lets children and adults stretch colorful silk over foldable bamboo frames to bring home in their suitcase!
Recommended Half-Day Craft Loop:
Combine Tra Que Herb Village (08:30 – 10:00) + Thanh Ha Pottery Village (10:15 – 11:45) by private car in the morning, enjoy a countryside lunch, and spend your afternoon in a shaded lantern-making workshop.
