Vong Nguyet (Tam Giang commune, Yen Phong district, Bac Ninh province) is a small village on the left bank of Cau river which appeared from thousands of years ago. This is an origin of the most ancient silk renowned throughout the North region. During your trips in and around Hanoi, tourists can take the time to visit here, an ancient village of traditional craft. It will make your trips more vivid and meaningful.
Throughout thousands of years of history famous for weaving silk, Vong Nguyet went into memories and nostalgia of many generations who love silk and fabric. Humans of Vong Nguyet are gentle and elegant. They are hardworking with mulberry leaves and cocoons to make silk sheets that create the beauty of life went into the history books in Vietnam.
In ancient times, this land was called Ngot Nhi. And, a man whose surname is Chu went to the village, reclaimed and established the village, and built his first career. As a result, the people here considered him as a father of the village. After he died, he was buried in Dong Tranh field that overlooks the semicircular pond, therefore, villagers named Vong Nguyet. Vong Nguyet means looking to the moon, is a dreamy and serene beauty. Until now, people still keep the name Vong Nguyet to remember about the past and the merits of the village’s father.
Vong Nguyet once renowned throughout the region for planting mulberry and raising silkworms. Along with the Delta or back to the distant land of the North West, everyone knew Vong Nguyet. Planting mulberry and raising silkworms in Vong Nguyet has existed about 1000 years. No one remembers who is an ancestor of the craft village but there is only a story circulating in the folk which was told by the elderly. Formerly, this land was assigned the task to weave silk and fabrics for the king and the harem. At that time, the large family: Nguyen Huu, Chu, Ngo Quy, Ngo Xuan ... had lived harmoniously together. Man cultivated and farmed, and women planted mulberries, raised silkworms, and woven silk. Vong Nguyet has a beautiful location as a natural gift and love, with red alluvial plains that make mulberry fields lush through seasons. Along with diligence, ingenuity and enthusiasm, Vong Nguyet’s people have created shiny, soft and durable silk yarn to weave the royal robes, traditional clothes, and luxurious and noble silk which were favored by royal place. Heyday with this craft brought prosperity to the villagers for a long time. Once, Vong Nguyet village was one of the busiest and most bustling villages along the Cau river because the trade, buying and selling silk were always bustled by the traders. Vong Nguyet’s silk was favored by royal place, and renowned in the capital so traders everywhere came to order, people even could not produce enough for consumption. Thus, life in small village on the banks of the Cau river flourished for several centuries
But, over the periods of war, Vong Nguyet was also deeply affected. As a result, the craft village was faded and sometimes seemed to be forgotten. When peace was restored, the 80s of last century, the villagers revived the traditional craft of the village together. With inherent diligence and skill, Vong Nguyet made shiny and soft silk and retain the identity as hundreds of years of good reputation so traders started coming to buy.
Come to the village, visitors will see the lush mulberry fields stretching along both sides of a village road. In the space of a peaceful northern village, visitors can hear the creaking sound of reeling steadily and see the beautiful silk sheets in such a quiet atmosphere there.
