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As travelers and photographers, we’re always seeking out the unexpected, the less touristed, and the most unique experiences as we travel. Places that not only provide great photography moments but also show the local culture. The day we found the village of Bao Khe (Cao Thon) in the Hung Yen Province of Vietnam was a culmination of both of these endeavors.
We had a general area marked on the map, and with cautious optimism that we would actually find the location we were seeking…we set out from Hanoi with a driver.
Cao Thon Village residents have been making incense for over 200 years and it’s touted to be the ‘oldest incense making village in Vietnam’ with over 100 village families involved.
Tết or Vietnamese New Year, is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. In the month and weeks leading up to Tết, it’s the busiest time of year for this village as they work tirelessly to produce the incense that is used before, during, and after Tet, for the many offerings of incense to their ancestors
The sights didn’t disappoint!!
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The colors and vibrancy of Incense making in the Vietnamese village of Cao Thon
Our initial view from the road as we approached the village had us so excited that we jumped out of the car, abandoned our driver and lunged camera’s first toward the drying incense.
The smell of sandalwood assaulted our senses as our camera’s captured the simple beauty of the circular designed incense.
The subtle yet dramatic color difference between the wet and the dry incense.
We worked our way inside the dimly lit building to watch the villagers hard at work. Our excitement transferred to them as they smiled and continued on with their work.
I was mesmerized watching them quickly turn baskets of wet, pliable incense into the beautiful shaped disks that we saw drying outside.
Their hands moved so fast, it was difficult at times to get a photo that wasn’t blurry.
In another nearby room, a village woman skillfully hand rolled incense onto bright colorful red-dyed sticks.
Her welcoming smile tells it all…
The freshly rolled incense sticks being laid out to dry. This scene was found all over the village, in every courtyard, every alleyway, and every street.
We were ushered into a small kitchen where the light from the windows illuminated the workspace on the floor. This woman invited us to sit, watch, and served us coffee in between putting the soft incense into the metal molds.
The bright yellow of the molded incense sitting in the sun to dry was a sharp contrast to the wet, brown incense above.
Everywhere we looked, our eyes were besieged by the bright colors and beautiful displays.
The displays weren’t put out to enamor the hoards of tourists…we were the only ones.
The red-dyed sticks drying in the sun like a bouquet of flowers.
The distinctive red and gold packaging is easy to spot. The products of this village are used not only in Vietnam but exported all over the world. If you’re in the market for some incense, please look for the Thuy Quyen label and support this tiny Vietnamese village.
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