Van Phuc Silk Village
Van Phuc Silk Village
3.5
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Van Phuc Silk Village visitors can learn how the fabric is woven and shop for textiles in a traditional silk-making village just outside the Hanoi city limits.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
110 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
33
Average
39
Poor
14
Terrible
4
Scott V
2 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
FAKE FAKE FAKE... they should call it "70% Silk Village. And either cotton or polyester blend cuz I don't know Village. Poor quality clothes for dumb tourists. It's all repeat cheap fake Chinese made clothing, some with fake brand names and all the same tags no matter what. It's swap meet and fake market goods made elsewhere. Better off at the markets in old quarter.
Written 13 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike
United Kingdom21 contributions
Apr 2012 • Family
We got the impression from Lonely Planet that this village this village was out of Hanoi in the country a little bit so hired a driver for the day to see this and the Thay and Tay Phuong Pagodas.
The silk village was the big disappointment of the trip. We felt like we were still in the middle of Hanoi when we turned off a main road and down a non-descript street lined with silk shops and into a courtyard, where we saw a few silkworm cocoons on a screen, what looked like some raw silk that had been unwould from cocoons some time ago, and into an old silk weaving room where there a few old looms, one of which was being operated. We walked back out through the connected silk shop and down the street trying to find something else of interest, before getting back in the car and driving on to the pagodas. Perhaps we missed something?
The silk village was the big disappointment of the trip. We felt like we were still in the middle of Hanoi when we turned off a main road and down a non-descript street lined with silk shops and into a courtyard, where we saw a few silkworm cocoons on a screen, what looked like some raw silk that had been unwould from cocoons some time ago, and into an old silk weaving room where there a few old looms, one of which was being operated. We walked back out through the connected silk shop and down the street trying to find something else of interest, before getting back in the car and driving on to the pagodas. Perhaps we missed something?
Written 27 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
175MOM
Texas360 contributions
Mar 2018 • Family
I enjoyed the visit to the silk village. The entire area is not big, but I still did not get to see all the stores in 2 hours we had. I see mixed reviews and I can see why. If you are not interested in silk, you should probably skip it. All the stores are selling silk fabric/scarves, so I can see why people may get bored if you are not interested. My husband was...but I loved the place as I love fabrics. Is this "touristy" place? Sure, I don't think the locals would pay those prices. But entire Hanoi is kind of touristy. Also some may be disappointed that many products are not made there at the silk village. "Authentic" or not, this is the place to go for silk shopping.
I really wanted to see how silk is made in old fashioned way. I assumed we could see it right in the middle where a small pond/arch are. But this courtyard is just surrounded by shops. At one of the stores we bought a scarf, and asked about it. The store lady pointed to go to the residential area. So we did, walked for a while but did not see anything. Maybe they have closed down, or maybe we would have seen if we wondered off smaller streets. We went back to the silk village and browsed more stores. At another store where I bought fabric, a very helpful lady, who also made the fabric I bought (and her father dyed it), said her home where she makes fabric is 30 min away, but told as to go to store called Mao and showed us where. She also advised us that their fabrics are more expensive.
Mao was a larger store in this area, and there is factory/house right next to it. The store ladies said we could take a look at the factory, so we did that first. Our kid thought it was interesting. I am not an expart, but theier fabric seemd to be better quality. Some are 100% silk and some are not, and they are clearly marked. I bought the one my kid liked.
Also some stores also sell non-silk souvenirs in small quantities. I found some beautiful fans.
We did not bargan. Coming from the U.S., I thought the price was already reasonable, and felt barganing was not appropriate. But I guess you could if you wanted. We did "cheap" silk shopping in HCMC, but shopping in Van Phuc Silk village was something compeltely different and I enjoyed it.
I really wanted to see how silk is made in old fashioned way. I assumed we could see it right in the middle where a small pond/arch are. But this courtyard is just surrounded by shops. At one of the stores we bought a scarf, and asked about it. The store lady pointed to go to the residential area. So we did, walked for a while but did not see anything. Maybe they have closed down, or maybe we would have seen if we wondered off smaller streets. We went back to the silk village and browsed more stores. At another store where I bought fabric, a very helpful lady, who also made the fabric I bought (and her father dyed it), said her home where she makes fabric is 30 min away, but told as to go to store called Mao and showed us where. She also advised us that their fabrics are more expensive.
Mao was a larger store in this area, and there is factory/house right next to it. The store ladies said we could take a look at the factory, so we did that first. Our kid thought it was interesting. I am not an expart, but theier fabric seemd to be better quality. Some are 100% silk and some are not, and they are clearly marked. I bought the one my kid liked.
Also some stores also sell non-silk souvenirs in small quantities. I found some beautiful fans.
We did not bargan. Coming from the U.S., I thought the price was already reasonable, and felt barganing was not appropriate. But I guess you could if you wanted. We did "cheap" silk shopping in HCMC, but shopping in Van Phuc Silk village was something compeltely different and I enjoyed it.
Written 11 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yevgeniya K
Tel Aviv, Israel23 contributions
Apr 2016
Dont expect to find beautifull silk clothes there. The clothes are not that beautifull and they are not silk. But its the place to find the best silk fabrics ever. Its not that cheap ( the best silk is about 25$ a meter) but still cheaper than in europe. I suggest to come with a lighter so you can check if the fabric is real. They can easily sell you viscose for silk and you will never know, it looks so similar.
Written 25 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
agrippina1952
hobart216 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
We visited in winter, and many of the shops were shut. We had been told that we could see silk weaving and manufacturing in process, but that was not to be. The place seemed rather bleak and deserted. All the silk products on display were very similar, and not cheaper than in the Old Quarter or Hang Gai. I wouldn't bother, but then perhaps a visit in summer might be very different.
Written 18 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pw0867
Saint-Lambert, Canada617 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
It would be boring for young kids. With the exception of the factory that you could visit where they showed you how they made silk garments, it was just a bunch of shops selling silk clothing items. Some were not cheaper than I could have gotten at home, but the wide variety and selection of items was good.
It was better than the ceramic village, but not much to see, unless you were in the mood to buy silk.
It was better than the ceramic village, but not much to see, unless you were in the mood to buy silk.
Written 17 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
msinwdc
Walt Disney World, FL52 contributions
Nov 2013 • Solo
Oh how I wish I listened to most of the reviews here on T.A. I just can't hear the word "village" and not think that it will be a charming and quiet locale full of locals working on their handicraft. And after going to Ba Trang pottery village, which is just that, I was hoping Van Phuc would be the silk equivalent.
But alas, it is as many previous reviewers have commented - nothing special or interesting. I couldn't even find the shops that actually spin the silk. Perhaps it's less busy in November (I was the only non-Vietnamese person there) and this activity is not done all year?
If you must go, it's worth hiring a guide or asking a local Vietnamese friend to take you, just to make sure you see all there is to see. As already noted, you only need an hour or two. I think this place is of most interest to people who want to buy fabric rather than ready-made items, because the latter are more readily available in Hanoi's Old Quarter. While I didn't see a lot of fabric, what I did see was beautiful and soft.
But alas, it is as many previous reviewers have commented - nothing special or interesting. I couldn't even find the shops that actually spin the silk. Perhaps it's less busy in November (I was the only non-Vietnamese person there) and this activity is not done all year?
If you must go, it's worth hiring a guide or asking a local Vietnamese friend to take you, just to make sure you see all there is to see. As already noted, you only need an hour or two. I think this place is of most interest to people who want to buy fabric rather than ready-made items, because the latter are more readily available in Hanoi's Old Quarter. While I didn't see a lot of fabric, what I did see was beautiful and soft.
Written 22 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PALTravel
Portland, OR1,499 contributions
Feb 2013 • Friends
You really need to shop around ... and if you want an authentic silk or 'pashmina', then you need to know your stuff as some shops slap labels on polyester and which says pashmina. So, take the time to look at things in a variety of shops before you purchase.
That said, the prices are very good and you can easily find something for everyone back home! It's fun to walk the streets and, if you're interested, you can actually see the entire process (from silk worm to final, woven product. We'd seen this in Turkey, so didn't bother on this trip.
You can find scarfs in all prices. The finer silk scarves are around $25usd. Check out each piece before purchasing to make sure there aren't any snags or an damage to the item.
We actually took a taxi to the village and he waited while we shopped. Nice to not have to find a taxi when we were finished!
If you have time to shop, this is a great place to do so!
That said, the prices are very good and you can easily find something for everyone back home! It's fun to walk the streets and, if you're interested, you can actually see the entire process (from silk worm to final, woven product. We'd seen this in Turkey, so didn't bother on this trip.
You can find scarfs in all prices. The finer silk scarves are around $25usd. Check out each piece before purchasing to make sure there aren't any snags or an damage to the item.
We actually took a taxi to the village and he waited while we shopped. Nice to not have to find a taxi when we were finished!
If you have time to shop, this is a great place to do so!
Written 15 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rafie K
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia23 contributions
Jan 2013 • Family
I was here last week and my sole purpose is to buy silk fabrics and scarf. My wife suggested this place to buy all things silk as she was here in March 2009.
Good things:
- You can see the silk worm and the process of making the fabric
- Considerably low in price compared to Hanoi (and Don Xuan market)
- Not that crowded
Not so good:
- Less options of silk fabrics and scarf (Maybe due to the cold season)
- The fabric options is more inclined towards the celebration of the lunar new year
Despite, I believe this will be better during hot season on whenever the silk worm is active producing the silk thread. I hope someone travel to this place in March or hotter season to supply with more information. Overall, it's a silk village for sure.
Good things:
- You can see the silk worm and the process of making the fabric
- Considerably low in price compared to Hanoi (and Don Xuan market)
- Not that crowded
Not so good:
- Less options of silk fabrics and scarf (Maybe due to the cold season)
- The fabric options is more inclined towards the celebration of the lunar new year
Despite, I believe this will be better during hot season on whenever the silk worm is active producing the silk thread. I hope someone travel to this place in March or hotter season to supply with more information. Overall, it's a silk village for sure.
Written 24 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
672highf
Point Lonsdale, Australia15 contributions
Apr 2019 • Family
A very disappointing visit to Van Phuc Silk Village. My expectations where to see the production of silk from silk worm to finished product. Unfortunately the only facility for the production of silk was one example of an old working loom and some explanations of the processes by the in house guide.
There are many shops/stalls selling silk products but very little of the silk for sale is manufactured in Vietnam and is readily available in any market just about anywhere in Asia. I found nothing that was unique to Vietnam.
Much of the product for sale was labelled "Silk Like" and in fact was not pure silk but a blend and/or man made fibre.
There are many shops/stalls selling silk products but very little of the silk for sale is manufactured in Vietnam and is readily available in any market just about anywhere in Asia. I found nothing that was unique to Vietnam.
Much of the product for sale was labelled "Silk Like" and in fact was not pure silk but a blend and/or man made fibre.
Written 3 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you buy the raw silk from the cocoon so that I can spin and dye it.
Written 23 March 2018
A friend and I would like to visit the village and see a tour of the silk manufacturing process. Should we arrange this in advance or will it be clear and easy to arrange when we arrive?
If you recommend organizing in advance, how do you recommend doing so?
Written 25 November 2015
No need to organize in advance. I got chatting with an amputee by the lake and she took me there in the local busses, which is the cheapest way to go. But any taxi will take you there.
Written 30 November 2015
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