For those seeking refuge from the bustling town, Cam Thanh villageoutside Hoi An town in the central province of Quang Nam offers aquieter vacation spot, where bicycles fill the peaceful streets insteadof cars and motorbikes.
The village is a favouriteeco-tour destination for visitors, who love its 30ha of nipa palm forestand handicrafts made from palm and bamboo. Cam Thanh is an option forvisitors visiting Hoi An along with craft villages making lanterns, silkgoods, timber furniture and pottery. Visitors can pedal along 5km ofwinding flat roads around the tranquil village, just 3km from the majortourism hub of Hoi An. Bikes, available for rent in Hoi An, are theperfect stop-start way of travelling throughout the area.
The village, which has a population of 2,000, offers bicycle tours,trips in primitive coracles, floating trips among the palm trees andvisiting craft people making traditional bamboo furniture. Soon, theywill have a choice of riding around on bamboo-frame bicycles beingproduced by a village craftsman – green bicycles in a green village.
The nipa palm forest shadows the Thu Bon River , where touristscan explore the wetland ecological system in coracles, craft of wovenbamboo covered with pitch that date back to prehistoric times.
The forest swamps are home to shrimps, fish and bird life. Tourists can use nets or lines to fish from the odd little craft.
If they like, they can spend a full day in the forest. Lunch can beprepared on site, hopefully heaps of grilled fish and prawns caught inthe morning.
Pham Vu Dung, a Hoi An tour operator, saidthe combination of bicycle rides and fishing from coracles is a uniquecombination that appeals to visitors.
For the past 100years, villagers have been planting nipa palms to protect the villagefrom the Thu Bon River when it floods and to make handicrafts.
The forest, which is part of the world bio-reserve Cham Island ,has also helped protect the village from storms, while, at the sametime, created a stable income for the villagers.
CraftsmanVo Tan Muoi, 71, and his son Vo Anh Tan, create unique bamboo furnitureand can also build houses using bamboo and palm leaves for the roof andwalls.
"Local people used to make their houses frombamboo and palm. A house with walls made of split bamboo panels andpalm-leaf roof can be used for 30 years," Muoi said, adding that thestructures kept cool in summer, but warm in winter.
Hesaid new-style buildings had gradually replaced the old-style houses.But villagers preserve some old houses to please the tourists.
The old man said his family produces furniture, souvenirs and interiordecorations from bamboo. Muoi's son, Vo Anh Tan, has even created abamboo bicycle and unique decorations.
"I have replacedparts of the steel frame with bamboo for those who would enjoy such anunusual environmentally friendly vehicle in a green village," Tan said."However, I just started production last year and the new design isstill being tested."
Tan also creates many other objectsfrom bamboo, including beds, sofas, jars, and an old manual telephone.The whole village is drawn into the craft work in its different stages.
Vo Tat Thang, 40, who began the trade at the age of 12, said the bamboowas soaked in water for six months before being left out to dry in thesun for 10 days. "The process helps eliminate termites and wood-borers.Palm leaves dry in about two weeks and can then be used," he said.
Thang said he and a group of 10 craftsmen often made traditional housesfrom bamboo and palm leaves to fill orders from around the nation. "Wehave built bamboo houses at many resorts, restaurants and cafesfollowing orders from owners. The houses create are unique in the daysof concrete and steel," he said.
"Each house can becompleted in 15 days for a cost of 400,000 VND (20 USD) per squaremetre," he said, adding that they get local householders to finish theprocesses to save time and create more work for the neighbours.
The traditional houses are free from iron. "All bamboo panels are tiedtogether with bamboo string, while beams and posts are locked in withbamboo nails."
Huynh Anh Phien, 61, earns around 100,000VND (4.8 USD) a day from processing palm. "It's a hard job, but thecraft earns more than rice farming. We plant palm trees and harvest theleaves after five years. The main crop is between February and June."
Vice chairman of the city's people's committee, Truong Van Bay, saidthe green tours can not only provide income for villagers, but helppreserve the district's green heritage. "There are plans to build acraft production centre on 15ha in Cam Thanh Village to displaythe arts and crafts we make," Bay said.
He said the centre would be near the village entrance, making it more convenient for tourists and villagers.
Mark Wyndham, who runs a motorbike adventure tour company based in Hoi An, said the town is safe and easy to live in.
"I lived for a long time in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City , but HoiAn is the right location for me to do business. I find life here verycomfortable and was given a residential permit from the city'sadministration," he said.
Japanese Hirukawa Yuki found theancient town a good place to live when she gave up the fast-paced lifein Tokyo two years ago.
"Local people treat us likefriends. There is no space between us. They shared our difficulties fromthe first days we moved to Hoi An. My neighbours even invited me to aparty with their family for Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday,” Yuki said.
Meanwhile craftsman Muoi and his son keep producing bamboo furniturefrom their bamboo house in the centre of the village. Tan expects tosoon finish two bamboo bicycles as prototypes for mass production.-VNA
The village is a favouriteeco-tour destination for visitors, who love its 30ha of nipa palm forestand handicrafts made from palm and bamboo. Cam Thanh is an option forvisitors visiting Hoi An along with craft villages making lanterns, silkgoods, timber furniture and pottery. Visitors can pedal along 5km ofwinding flat roads around the tranquil village, just 3km from the majortourism hub of Hoi An. Bikes, available for rent in Hoi An, are theperfect stop-start way of travelling throughout the area.
The village, which has a population of 2,000, offers bicycle tours,trips in primitive coracles, floating trips among the palm trees andvisiting craft people making traditional bamboo furniture. Soon, theywill have a choice of riding around on bamboo-frame bicycles beingproduced by a village craftsman – green bicycles in a green village.
The nipa palm forest shadows the Thu Bon River , where touristscan explore the wetland ecological system in coracles, craft of wovenbamboo covered with pitch that date back to prehistoric times.
The forest swamps are home to shrimps, fish and bird life. Tourists can use nets or lines to fish from the odd little craft.
If they like, they can spend a full day in the forest. Lunch can beprepared on site, hopefully heaps of grilled fish and prawns caught inthe morning.
Pham Vu Dung, a Hoi An tour operator, saidthe combination of bicycle rides and fishing from coracles is a uniquecombination that appeals to visitors.
For the past 100years, villagers have been planting nipa palms to protect the villagefrom the Thu Bon River when it floods and to make handicrafts.
The forest, which is part of the world bio-reserve Cham Island ,has also helped protect the village from storms, while, at the sametime, created a stable income for the villagers.
CraftsmanVo Tan Muoi, 71, and his son Vo Anh Tan, create unique bamboo furnitureand can also build houses using bamboo and palm leaves for the roof andwalls.
"Local people used to make their houses frombamboo and palm. A house with walls made of split bamboo panels andpalm-leaf roof can be used for 30 years," Muoi said, adding that thestructures kept cool in summer, but warm in winter.
Hesaid new-style buildings had gradually replaced the old-style houses.But villagers preserve some old houses to please the tourists.
The old man said his family produces furniture, souvenirs and interiordecorations from bamboo. Muoi's son, Vo Anh Tan, has even created abamboo bicycle and unique decorations.
"I have replacedparts of the steel frame with bamboo for those who would enjoy such anunusual environmentally friendly vehicle in a green village," Tan said."However, I just started production last year and the new design isstill being tested."
Tan also creates many other objectsfrom bamboo, including beds, sofas, jars, and an old manual telephone.The whole village is drawn into the craft work in its different stages.
Vo Tat Thang, 40, who began the trade at the age of 12, said the bamboowas soaked in water for six months before being left out to dry in thesun for 10 days. "The process helps eliminate termites and wood-borers.Palm leaves dry in about two weeks and can then be used," he said.
Thang said he and a group of 10 craftsmen often made traditional housesfrom bamboo and palm leaves to fill orders from around the nation. "Wehave built bamboo houses at many resorts, restaurants and cafesfollowing orders from owners. The houses create are unique in the daysof concrete and steel," he said.
"Each house can becompleted in 15 days for a cost of 400,000 VND (20 USD) per squaremetre," he said, adding that they get local householders to finish theprocesses to save time and create more work for the neighbours.
The traditional houses are free from iron. "All bamboo panels are tiedtogether with bamboo string, while beams and posts are locked in withbamboo nails."
Huynh Anh Phien, 61, earns around 100,000VND (4.8 USD) a day from processing palm. "It's a hard job, but thecraft earns more than rice farming. We plant palm trees and harvest theleaves after five years. The main crop is between February and June."
Vice chairman of the city's people's committee, Truong Van Bay, saidthe green tours can not only provide income for villagers, but helppreserve the district's green heritage. "There are plans to build acraft production centre on 15ha in Cam Thanh Village to displaythe arts and crafts we make," Bay said.
He said the centre would be near the village entrance, making it more convenient for tourists and villagers.
Mark Wyndham, who runs a motorbike adventure tour company based in Hoi An, said the town is safe and easy to live in.
"I lived for a long time in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City , but HoiAn is the right location for me to do business. I find life here verycomfortable and was given a residential permit from the city'sadministration," he said.
Japanese Hirukawa Yuki found theancient town a good place to live when she gave up the fast-paced lifein Tokyo two years ago.
"Local people treat us likefriends. There is no space between us. They shared our difficulties fromthe first days we moved to Hoi An. My neighbours even invited me to aparty with their family for Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday,” Yuki said.
Meanwhile craftsman Muoi and his son keep producing bamboo furniturefrom their bamboo house in the centre of the village. Tan expects tosoon finish two bamboo bicycles as prototypes for mass production.-VNA
