If you want to learn about Vietnam agriculture, you must visit the Thanh Thuy Chanh village. The village preserves the traditional values in Hue and its iconic Thanh Toan Japanese Covered Bridge.
On a nice day, I was lucky to be a part of Hue Countryside Tour organized for Mr. Steve family. This is a special Hue Tour of Bee Bee Travel, a company whose mission is to bring you a real local Hue experience.
The trip to Thanh Thuy Chanh village is an eventful memory. Although it is a Hue half day tour, it helps me and especially Steve’s family learn more about culture lasting hundreds of years. Through this experience, I had a journal of my own with titled “a glimpse of Hue countryside”.
I will help you to know what awesome experience you will have if booking this tour in Hue.
Where is Thanh Thuy Chanh village?
Breaking from the hustle and bustle of urban life to find the ancient land called Thanh Thuy Chanh village. The village is located about eight kilometers from Hue city. Even more, enjoying the peaceful village scenery, finding out the rural life, we also discover a host of ancient architectures.
Thanh Thuy Chanh village is famous for the image of Thanh Toan Japanese Covered bridge. It has been known to many visitors through the Hue countryside tour during the Hue festivals. But coming here on a non-festival day, the village still fascinates us by its idyllic beauty.
However, before you get to the heart of the village, there is so much venue in this village you can experience. These places will bring you so much surprise about this village agriculture. Now, let’s start a wonderful experience with me!
First destination: Con Mieu Secret Tunnel
On our way to Thanh Thuy Chanh village, we went through the green rice paddies filled with water. On the right a small island that is Con Mieu secret tunnel. It is a sheltered place of soldiers during the local revolutionary struggle in the past. I will show some pictures of Con Mieu:
Continue to our journey, along with the immense rice fields that come to Thanh Thuy Chanh village’s gate. It is located close to the fresh paddy fields, therefore, you will smell the scent of young rice. The architectural style of the village gate is not ostentatious, however, it shows the discipline and depth of village culture.
The Second Place: Thanh Thuy Chanh Community house
Passing the village gate, continue on the new concrete village road winding through the green and perennial bamboo, we started to visit Thanh Thuy Chanh community house. I got to know the architecture, as well as many stories, happened in this community village in the past. Furthermore, you might be surprised to know that each village has their own regulations and sometimes are more lawful than the Dynasty law itself. This place served as the meeting hall, festival meets up, the trial court and many ceremony activities that happened in the past. You can see some photos of the community house:
One thing you might not know about Vietnamese culture is the three of the symbolic icons of a traditional village. They are the banyan tree, the lake or river and most importantly the sacred community house. It shows the community, connecting the members of the village together to create the strength of the village.
The Third Destination: Thanh Toan Tile-Roofed Bridge
First look
Surprisingly, from a distance, we admired the hundred-year-old bridge curved like the rainbows with ancient tile roofs leaning in the fresh waters.
The story of Thanh Toan Japanese Covered Bridge
The origin of the bridge was a very touching story. According to our “super guide”, it was built in 1776 by Mrs. Tran Thi Dao who was the wife of a great mandarin but had no children during the reign of King Le Hien Tong. Its purpose was to pray and to facilitate the movement of local inhabitants and, after that, Le Hien Tong Emperor issued a decree to honor her. During the reign of Khai Dinh Emperor in 1920, an altar was installed on the bridge to maintain a permanent monument in honor of Ms. Tran Thi Dao.
As we walked closer, we took a look at its unique architecture that is valuable in terms of history, culture and also a landscape. When I stepped inside of Thanh Toan bridge, I saw the elaborate and refined details on this special Hue bridge. The roof is covered with enamel tubular tiles. Rows of wooden platform and railings where visitors can rest were built on two sides.
The place of worship of Tran Thi Dao is the sacred place and located in the middle of the bridge.
Some another activity near Thanh Toan Japanese Covered Bridge is riding a boat on the river, going to the market and listening to folk songs by villagers. When Steve’s children and I were sitting on the boat enjoying the fresh air, my enduring childhood memories came back to me. This peaceful land seems like making all of my private worries to disappear.
Coming to Thanh Thuy Chanh, you will experience a peaceful space in the typical Vietnamese countryside.
Fourth Destination: Thanh Toan Farming Museum
This is an interesting museum that you also can visit a wide range of agricultural tools of local farmers. They used in the past such as rice grinders made by stone, porcelain bowls, etc.
The objects are said to be inanimate but it has a profound meaning to the identity and cultural values, the spirit of this village. It is the most noteworthy that at Thanh Toan Farming Museum we can see the process of harvesting rice from farmers.
Steve and his children really enjoyed learning how Vietnamese make the rice. They were even having some hands on experience which made a great learning day for them.
Final destination: Van Thanh Temple and Ms. Nua’s Organic Farm House
The place where Ms. Nua and her husband who are farmers for generation live in lies Van Thanh Temple within her garden. It was built to worship Confucius, with the purpose of promoting ethics, feudalism rites according to the idea of Confucianism.
Besides honoring the talented people, dedicated effort to the country, Van Thanh Temple is one of the most noteworthy relics that record the events, historical milestones, many feats of the people here.
Most memorable of our my Hue Countryside Tour is her garden. Her working ethic grows organic stuff. Her house decorated with the flower and many kinds of plants. Even more, I got learn she hosts visitors as a way to benefit from tourism.
This is the stop that my company which I work for sends visitors here as well. We try to connect rural farmers to benefit from tourism. There are a lot of wonderful pictures of her garden.
Visiting Hue, you should definitely come to this famous Hue attraction place, to learn about agriculture and how farmers living such a simple life.
If you want to have this wonderful countryside tour in Hue, you can book at Bee Bee Travel website here. They will certainly bring an extremely fun experience in this beautiful Hue countryside village. Let’s join with us now!
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