Craft of gold laminating recognised as national heritage
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recognised the gold and silver laminating and gilding craft village in Kieu Ky commune, Gia Lam district in Hanoi as a national intangible cultural heritage. The craft appeared in Kieu Ky over 300 years ago.
The gold-making process consists of many different stages and requires complex skills. (Photo: VNA)
First, gold or silver bullion will be beaten with a special hammer to about 1cm width which will later be cut into 1sq.cm. These gold leaves are placed in a holder called a dong leaf, which is made from do paper (rice paper pieces). Dong leaf is painted several times with a mixture of ink and buffalo hide-based glue to help make it solid. (Photo: VNA)
Artisan Nguyen Anh Chung overlays a statue with super-thin gold leaves. (Photo: VNA)
Golden buffalo is a popular made-to-order product for the Year of the Ox. (Photo: VNA)
Golden buffalo product is a popular made-to-order product for the Year of the Ox by artisan Nguyen Anh Chung. (Photo: VNA)
An official has said Hanoi’s tourism products should be associated with advertising high-quality goods, especially those which are the signature of craft villages.
The Kieu Ky gold laminating craft village (Gia Lam district, Hanoi) has a history of about 400 years. Through ups and downs, people still retain their traditional profession with stages that require ingenuity and sophistication.
Brocade is considered a symbol expressing the cultural and spiritual lives of ethnic minority groups. To preserve this unique cultural trait, many localities have restored and developed the craft of brocade weaving in ethnic communities. Within the framework of the Vietnam Brocade Culture Festival, the traditional weaving profession was introduced to domestic and foreign visitors.
Located 7km from Hue city to the South West, Thuy Xuan village is known for making incense for hundreds of years. It is not only the infamous traditional craft village of the central province but also a tourism hotspot for tourists.
Hang Bac is viewed as the “most expensive” among Hanoi’s 36 old streets. In the past, people living on this street relied on three major jobs, involving silver ingot and jewellery making, and money exchange.
At any number of social and cultural events around Vietnam, especially traditional festivals, drums feature as the centrepiece of almost all activities.
The gold-making process consists of many different stages and requires complex skills. (Photo: VNA) 
First, gold or silver bullion will be beaten with a special hammer to about 1cm width which will later be cut into 1sq.cm. These gold leaves are placed in a holder called a dong leaf, which is made from do paper (rice paper pieces). Dong leaf is painted several times with a mixture of ink and buffalo hide-based glue to help make it solid. (Photo: VNA) 
Artisan Nguyen Anh Chung overlays a statue with super-thin gold leaves. (Photo: VNA) 
Golden buffalo is a popular made-to-order product for the Year of the Ox. (Photo: VNA) 
Golden buffalo product is a popular made-to-order product for the Year of the Ox by artisan Nguyen Anh Chung. (Photo: VNA) 
