The capital city is drawing on its rural outskirts to add new depth to its tourism profile.
Recreating historic attire, Bach Hoa Bo Hanh showcases ancient costumes at the Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival 2025. Photo: Huy Pham/ The Hanoi Times
Hanoi is looking beyond its bustling streets and historic landmarks to its rural outskirts, where ancient villages, craft traditions and ethnic communities are offering a new kind of travel experience. Community-based tourism is taking root, allowing visitors to live like locals while giving villagers new ways to earn a livelihood and preserve their heritage.
Just over an hour from downtown Hanoi, Duong Lam Ancient Village offers a rare glimpse into northern Vietnam’s rural past. With mossy stone alleys, centuries-old houses and village gates unchanged for generations, the village has become a leading destination for travelers seeking authenticity.
Thanks to joint efforts by residents and authorities, most traditional homes still retain their original design with wooden beams, tiled roofs and courtyards typical of Red River Delta life.
At Duong Lam Ancient Village, Hanoi, international guests learn the art of preparing Tuong Ban, a special sauce from northern Vietnam. Photo: Le Nam/ The Hanoi Times
Today, visitors to the village can enjoy homestays, farm-style meals and hands-on workshops organized by local households.
The locals also open their ancient houses for tours, serve local specialties such as che lam (sticky rice candy) and tuong ban (fermented soybean paste), and invite visitors to join in seasonal farm work. These experiences turn tourism into an exchange of cultures rather than a staged performance.
Duong Lam’s dedication to preservation has earned it numerous awards, including recognition from UNESCO. The attention has further raised its profile, drawing both domestic and international travelers eager to step into Vietnam’s rural traditions.
Other craft villages are also stepping into the spotlight. Bat Trang, Hanoi’s famous ceramics hub, invites guests to mold clay on spinning wheels and decorate their own pottery.
International visitors explore the traditional craft at Quang Phu Cau incense-making village on the outskirt. Photo: Le Nam/ The Hanoi Times
In Dao Thuc, villagers bring age-old water puppetry to life in communal ponds, turning an art once reserved for festivals into a regular attraction.
Further afield in Ba Vi Commune, the Dao ethnic community has pioneered wellness retreats rooted in herbal medicine. Visitors can wander through medicinal gardens, learn to prepare remedies, and enjoy herbal baths, skincare treatments, and massages using forest-grown ingredients. Here, culture and health intertwine to give Hanoi tourism a unique edge.
These villages show how heritage and creativity can transform tourism from passive sightseeing into active participation, offering experiences that linger long after the trip ends.
Tug-of-war is played all over the world, but sitting tug-of-war is its funkier version. This ancient game can only be found at the Tran Vu Temple Festival in Thach Ban Ward of Long Bien District on the outskirts of Hanoi. Photo: Huy Pham/ The Hanoi Times
Officials emphasize that community-based tourism is more than an economic opportunity. “It creates jobs, improves incomes and preserves cultural heritage and agricultural products,” said Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism.
Hanoi is home to 1,350 craft villages, each with its own identity, from bronze casting and silk weaving to wood carving and conical hat making.
With such resources, the potential for expansion is enormous. Developing old-time villages into tourism destinations can revive traditional crafts, instill pride in local culture, and encourage younger generations to carry on family trades.
To unlock this potential, experts say, Hanoi must ensure both quality and sustainability. Phung Quang Thang, Chairman of the Hanoi Travel Association, urged the city to expand local accommodation to meet rising demand for longer stays.
Source: The Hanoi Times
