Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer craft village

A southern Vietnamese lacquer village more than 300 years old

Located in Chanh Hiep ward, Ho Chi Minh City, and with a history of more than 300 years, the village is regarded as one of the cradles of southern Vietnamese lacquerware. The Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer craft was inscribed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2016. The craft flourished from the early 20th century, especially after the founding of the Thu Dau Mot School of Indigenous Arts and Crafts in 1901, where the teaching of handicraft and fine-art techniques helped the traditional lacquer trade grow into the art of lacquer painting. What sets Tuong Binh Hiep apart lies in the layers of lacquer, painstakingly applied, sanded and polished, combined with gold leaf, silver leaf, eggshell inlay, mother-of-pearl inlay and relief work, producing pieces with their characteristic depth and sheen. Although there was a time when hundreds of households worked the craft together, the number of workshops has fallen sharply, so the story of Tuong Binh Hiep is not only the story of a handicraft but also a journey to hold on to the memory and the skill of many generations in the midst of urbanisation. Visitors can seek out the workshops along Ho Van Cong street to watch the artisans carry out the stages of lacquer work and to buy pieces. It is best to get in touch beforehand, as not every workshop is regularly open to visitors.

English text: machine translation from the Localis platform — proper names kept in Vietnamese.