An ancient house in Phuoc Tich village (Source: VNA)Heldsince 2006, the tour, named “the ancient village’s old taste” during every HueFestival, has helped attract more and more visitors to the locality.
On the tour, holiday-makers will enjoy folk games such as swinging, “bit matdap nieu” (beat pot while blindfolded), “bit mat nau com” (cooking rice whileblindfolded), tug of war and boat races, and experience daily activities oflocals.
One of the only two ancient villages in Vietnam recognised as nationalcultural-historical relics, Phuoc Tich, located at Phong Hoa commune in PhongDien district, was formed under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (1460-1497)with the initial name of Dong Quyet and subsequently renamed Phuoc Tich duringthe Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).
It was also recognised as a nationalarchitectural and art relic site in 2009 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism.
Phuoc Tinh boasts thirty six 100-year-old houses carved with sophisticatedpatterns, which have invaluable architectural and cultural values.
Theseancient wooden houses were built with three compartments and two lean-tos,surrounded by a garden with rows of green tea bushes serving as the fence and abrick-covered courtyard.
The village has also relic sites forbelief and religious practices such as communal houses, pagodas, temples andChampa culture-related relic sites.
Crucially, it has maintained its traditional pottery craft through thecenturies.
Familiesin the village have earned a living from making ceramics for the past 500years. Phuoc Tich ceramics used to be very famous, and they were once selectedfor use by the Nguyen kings.
Local authoritiesare making efforts to preserve the craft.
With the assistance from theJapanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with Japan’sShowa Women’s University, Phuoc Tich is trying to revive its traditionalceramic craft.
Twenty residents from PhuocTich got support and training from the JICA and the university to devise newdesigns for their products using traditional techniques.
Visitors are delighted whenserved local food on plates and bowls made in the village in an idyllic settingof an orchard.
Nowadays, Phuoc Tich’spottery kilns are burning bright, they not only turn out pottery products butalso help promote the traditional craft to tourists.
Last year, Phuoc Tichvillage welcomed 4,398 visitors, a surge of 219 percent against 2013, bringingin 200 million VND in revenue.-VNA
