Can Tho: Ancient rice paper craft village in close-up

Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023, Thuan Hung rice paper village is now buzzing to meet the Lunar New Year demand. Le Duc Toan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council of Thuan Hung ward, noted the village has 58 year-round households employing over 350 workers, plus 45 seasonal kilns providing jobs for the Lunar New Year season with the daily wage of about 300,000–400,000 VND. Toan affirmed that the authorities support these businesses through Social Policy Bank loans concerning equipment and materials, while facilitating domestic and international trade. Beyond production, the village has become a key cultural tourism destination in the Mekong Delta.

People’s Army Newspaper would like to present readers with a number of images of this unique traditional craft.

The entrance gate to Thuan Hung rice paper craft village

Rice paper is dried everywhere, from the very entrance of the village.

Drying rice paper is not an easy task. The person in charge must know how to judge the sunlight accurately to remove the sheets at the right moment so that each rice paper remains intact.

If the sunshine is good, it takes only about 30 minutes for the rice paper to dry. If it becomes too dry, it will crack. Therefore, workers have to be extremely attentive and careful.

Van Thi Tho, owner of Ut Tho rice paper facility, mixing the batter

The process of grating coconuts to extract coconut milk for making rice paper

Bags of flour carefully wrapped before being used for production

Thuan Hung rice paper typically comes in four varieties: salted rice paper, plain (unsalted) rice paper, spring roll rice paper, and coconut rice paper. Salted rice paper contains more salt, is more elastic, and can be stored longer than plain rice paper. Plain rice paper is crispier. Spring roll rice paper is smaller in size. Coconut rice paper is made with added coconut milk and sesame seeds.

Workers handling spring roll rice paper, preparing it to be cut and sold to customers

To meet the market demand, the rice paper here is produced year-round, with the peak season during the lunar New Year. Almost every household has to double or even triple its output, selling out each batch as soon as it is made.

Beyond the impression left by the skillful techniques of rice paper making and the enjoyment of fragrant, delicious products, visitors to Thuan Hung also learn about the people of the craft village, admiring their kindness and their dedication to preserving the traditions of a century-old craft.

Translated by Tran Hoai