Embark on a journey to Nôm Village, nestled in the serene Vietnamese countryside, to visit the remarkable Nôm Pagoda. Have you ever wondered how the golden leaves adorning Vietnamese pagodas are crafted? Here, we open the doors to a traditional workshop where this ancestral craft continues by hand.
Where Is Nôm Pagoda and What to See in Nôm ?
Nôm Pagoda, also known as Linh Thông Cổ Tự, is located in Nôm Village, Dai Dông Commune, Van Lâm District, Hung Yên Province, approximately 30 kilometers east of Hanoi. This ancient village, untouched by modernization, offers a rare glimpse into authentic rural Vietnam.
Visitors can explore a vibrant traditional market held on specific lunar days, where locals sell unique, often hard-to-find products. It’s an immersive experience into Vietnamese daily life, far from the beaten path. Strolling through the village, one can also visit ancestral houses—small family temples built in traditional styles, reflecting deep respect for lineage and ancestral memory.
Nôm Pagoda itself is renowned for its remarkable collection of terracotta statues, some dating back to the Ly and Tran dynasties, all preserved in their original state. Nearby, an old stone bridge adorned with dragon heads spans the river, connecting the pagoda to the market, symbolizing the harmony between spirituality and daily life. Everything in Nôm remains authentic, offering visitors a rare, peaceful, and profoundly genuine experience.
Traditional Soy Sauce Production Around Nôm
In the vicinity of Nôm Village and its pagoda, several artisan villages are renowned for the traditional production of Vietnamese soy sauce, a staple in local cuisine.
This sauce, known as tương, is made from carefully cooked and crushed soybeans, mixed with fermented sticky rice and sometimes a bit of salt. The resulting mixture is placed in large clay jars, which are then lined up outdoors, exposed to the sun for several weeks or even months. This natural sun fermentation is essential to develop the characteristic umami flavor of Vietnamese soy sauce.
Each family or workshop has its own closely guarded secrets, passed down through generations, giving each sauce a unique personality. Observing this artisanal process in a rural and preserved setting offers a wonderful insight into the deep Vietnam, blending spirituality, living traditions, and ancestral culinary know-how.
The Craft of Gold Leaf Production: Another Unique Local Artisanal Tradition
Another distinctive local craft to discover around Nôm Village is the traditional production of gold leaf, a rare and impressive skill. Artisans begin by melting pure gold, stretching it into thin strips, and placing them between special sheets of paper.
These strips are then hand-hammered for about thirty minutes to a few hours, depending on the technique, until they become extremely fine, almost translucent leaves. Although the hammering time isn’t very long, the work is particularly demanding, requiring extreme precision, strength, and expertise passed down through generations.
These gold leaves are subsequently used to gild Buddhist statues, family altars, or for religious rituals. Witnessing these artisans at work in such an authentic setting allows one to appreciate the richness of local traditions, blending spirituality, art, and patience.