Sơn Vi Craft Village – Preserving the Essence of Vietnamese Heritage

December 9, 2022 | Craft Village

In the past, to keep the teapot warm for the tea cups, Vietnamese people often used a traditional handmade product called “Ủ ấm.” Despite the advent of more convenient modern tools in today’s lifestyle, Ủ ấm remains a cherished item in many Vietnamese households and is a popular choice for gifts among tourists.

Sơn Vi Craft Village – Preserving the Essence of Vietnamese Heritage

The birthplace of this unique and small teapot is the village of Sơn Vi (meaning mountainous vein, in Nôm script, it’s kẻ Vây). Sơn Vi is a commune in the Lâm Thao district of Phú Thọ province. The craft of making Ủ ấm has been present in Sơn Vi for over a century. In 2010, the traditional handicraft village and the art of making Ủ ấm in Sơn Vi were officially recognized as a traditional craft village, earning the Silver Medal at the national handicraft exhibition.

The crafting process of Ủ ấm is entirely manual. Bamboo is used for the handle, shredded fabric serves as the core, thin bamboo panels make up the bottom, glue is applied for adhesion, and a traditional paint called ‘ta’ is used for decoration. With their skillful hands, the people of Sơn Vi create unique Ủ ấm in different sizes and colors, with common ones being in deep red, yellow, durable, beautiful, and excellent at retaining heat, adding richness to cups of green tea, aromatic leaves, or traditional herbal teas throughout the four seasons.

Each Ủ ấm carries the soul of the Sơn Vi villagers, crafted with care and pride, maintaining the traditions passed down through generations. Presently, only around 20 households in Sơn Vi continue to practice this craft, with 3 households being the main producers. Due to unstable market demand and the emergence of modernized versions of Ủ ấm, such as lacquered teapots, coconut shell teapots, and convenient wooden teapots, the traditional craft is facing challenges.

To keep the flame alive for the Sơn Vi Craft Village, there is a need for a new direction, involving specific actions such as promotion, passing on the passion to the next generation, applying technology to design for increased labor productivity, adapting designs to market demands, enhancing promotional activities, and establishing connections and collaborations, especially with tourism.

With hopes for the future, the Sơn Vi Craft Village of Ủ ấm aspires to become an attractive destination and offer unique, meaningful gift options for tourists and locals alike whenever they visit Phú Thọ province.