Van Phuc traditional silk weaving village in Hanoi

The Van Phuc village is Vietnam’s oldest silk village dating back more than a thousand years and it's the best known traditional silk weaving village in Vietnam, and one of the best developed and most visited craft villages near Hanoi.

A highlight of a visit to Van Phuc will be an opportunity to see the old looms in operation. While some basic technology has been introduced to the process in recent years, there’s still plenty of manual labour in Van Phuc’s silk production processes.

In recent years, the Van Phuc village has enjoyed the revival of its craft due to a surging demand for silk in both the domestic and foreign markets. The fabric is sold locally or taken up to Hanoi for sale in Pho Hang Gai, the city's famous 'silk street'.

Van Phuc is a great place for those with a deep interest in silk. Visitors can learn how the fabric is woven and shop for textiles. You may pay a little more in Hanoi but shop owners there seem to have a better sense of what travellers are looking for.