Children play at the dock in ancient Tho Ha Village, an ideal retreat in the northern province of Bac Giang

Nestled by the serene northern Cau River for hundreds of years is the 20-hectare-village known as Tho Ha.

In ancient times, Tho Ha was a bustling commercial port known as Kinh Bac (a name used to convey its northern location). Evidence of the once prosperous trading activity can still be seen today in the village’s imposing architectural works like the Communal House, a pagoda, and a shrine. An impressive feature of the works is that each is held together only with mud from the nearby Cau River.

Another distinctive characteristic of Tho Ha Village is that it contains no fields for growing rice. Because of this, the local residents instead turned to making traditional handicrafts, especially pottery. Tho Ha Village’s hand-made ceramics have been popular since the 12th century and the area is one of the three oldest pottery-making centers in Vietnam.

Tho Ha’s handmade pottery had been developing steadily until the 1960s, but has progressively died out. According to local resident Trinh Dac Tan – also a celebrated pottery artisan – in the 40s and 50s there were around 75 kilns in the village and people depended on the craft for their livelihoods.

Since 1990, however, Tho Ha Village has been known as the heart of banh da nem (rice sheets used to make fried spring rolls), mi gao (noodles made from rice), and ruou gao (wine made from rice).

The area is not only a favorite stop for tourists, but is also used for creative inspiration by many photographers. Antique houses, banyan trees, and other ancient artifacts are are abound. The Village’s Communal House was listed as a national historic relic in 1960, the Tho Ha Pagoda was listed in 1996, and the village’s shrine to Confucius was listed in 1999.

To reach Tho Ha Village from Hanoi, follow Highway No. 1 for 31 kilometers west to reach Bac Ninh Province. Then turn left and travel 3 kilometers to arrive at Pho Dang. Travel around the dyke of the Cau River for around 1 km to reach Tho Ha Wharf where a ferry will transport you to the village.

Reported by Kim