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Discover the ancient art of bronze casting at Ngu Xa Village in Hanoi. Learn about the history of the village and see the process of creating bronze sculptures and objects.

Highlights

• Discover the ancient art of bronze casting at Ngu Xa Village
• Learn about the history of the village and its role in Hanoi's culture
• See the process of creating bronze sculptures and objects
• Visit the workshops of local artisans and see their work up close
• Explore the village and its surroundings with a knowledgeable guide

Description

Visit the traditional Ngu Xa bronze casting village, located on the side of Truc Bach Lake in the west of Hanoi. Learn about the village’s history, which dates back to the Le Dynasty , when artisans and skilled bronze workers migrated from five communes to form the village. Discover how the name Ngu Xa, meaning five communes, was chosen to honor their origin. Explore the village’s rich history, where bronze casting was one of the four quintessential professions in the imperial capital of Thang Long (now Hanoi), alongside silk weaving, pottery, and gold handicraft jewelry. See outstanding examples of the villagers’ products, including the bell in the Mot Cot (one-pillar) pagoda and the monolithic black bronze Huyen Thien Tran Vu statue in Quan Thanh temple. Visit the two remaining family-run bronze-casting workshops in the village, where artisans continue to produce traditional worship items for pagodas and temples nationwide. Learn about the intricate process of bronze casting, from creating the clay model, molding, casting, and polishing to coloring. Discover how the traditional method of using rice straws to smoke products is still applied to achieve the ancient bronze color.

Includes

Visit to Ngu Xa bronze casting village Observation of traditional bronze casting process View of historical bronze statues Pick up and drop off Air-conditioned vehicle Bottled water Entrance fees Guide

Important Information

• Bronze casting requires creativity, patience, carefulness, and good eyesight. Molding is the most important step of the process that decides the product’s beauty. Bronze casting involves the use of clay and rice husks for shaping molds. The process includes melting alloys over a wood-fueled kiln. Traditional coloring methods involve using rice straws to smoke products until they turn brown, black and ancient bronze.

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund