Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An holds immensely significant historical, cultural, and scientific values for the formation and development of the Hội An trading port town…
In earlier times, Kim Bồng Village was known as Châu Kim Bồng, belonging to Mỹ Khê canton, Duy Xuyên district. Most of its land was part of Cẩm Kim commune, Hội An City, Quảng Nam Province (now under Hội An Ward, Đà Nẵng City). This village was established quite early in the trading port town of Hội An during the Nguyễn Lords’ era.
HISTORY OF FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
According to the oral traditions passed down by the descendants of the Nguyễn, Phan, Huỳnh, and Trương families in Cẩm Kim Commune, the founding ancestor of carpentry in Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An was originally from Thanh Hóa, who migrated and settled here in the 16th century. Recognizing that Kim Bồng was surrounded on three sides by rivers, lying along the great Thu Bồn River and adjacent to the international trading port town of Hội An, the village forebears saw this land as highly favorable for the development of both construction carpentry and household carpentry. Thus, they chose this place as their long-term settlement to establish and nurture the traditional carpentry village.
They also began their craft by building from traditional thatched and bamboo houses to the more common wooden frame houses known as “Tam gian nhị hạ”, followed by household furniture, utensils, and means of transportation (such as bamboo basket boats and small wooden boats). From the late 16th century to the 17th century, with many favorable conditions, Hội An quickly flourished, becoming a major international trading port town in Đàng Trong. This prosperity created favorable conditions for the growth of many crafts, among which was the carpentry of Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An.
The process of urbanization led to the division and specialization of labor in Hội An. Traditional handicrafts flourished in order to meet the needs of life in a bustling trading port town, including the carpentry of Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An. From this point, Kim Bồng carpentry had the opportunity to develop further, serving the construction of urban architectural works, religious and spiritual structures, household wooden products, and boat building — including large, long-distance merchant vessels (ghe bầu).
Over time, Kim Bồng carpentry branched into four main categories: construction carpentry, household carpentry, fine art carpentry, and boatbuilding carpentry. Among these, Trung Châu and Phước Thắng hamlets specialized in fine art carpentry and construction; Đông Hà and Ngọc Thành hamlets focused on boatbuilding; while Trung Hà and Vĩnh Thành hamlets became the centers for the production of household wooden goods.
According to the recollections of the village elders, some Kim Bồng carpenters also traveled to various other localities to practice their craft. Notably, many carpenters from the village were recruited by the Nguyễn Dynasty to Hue to build palaces and imperial mausoleums, where they were conferred the honorary title of Tượng mục (Master Craftsman) and granted court ranks such as Bát phẩm and Cửu phẩm. In later times, figures such as Mr. Huỳnh Kim Hơn even took part in the construction of President Hồ Chí Minh’s Mausoleum.
Throughout their creative labor, the artisans of Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An produced a wide variety of wooden works, including:
- Fine art carpentry products: more than 50 types of household fine art items, and over 47 types of religious and spiritual fine art objects.
- Household carpentry products: cupboards, tables, chairs, beds, shelves, cabinets, trunks, chests, boxes, trays, and serving platters.
- Construction carpentry products: residential houses, ancestral halls, communal houses, and pagodas.
- Boatbuilding carpentry products: canoes, boats, ships, and large merchant vessels.
In general, Kim Bồng carpentry products were primarily consumed in the domestic markets such as Đà Nẵng, Ho Chi Minh City, Hà Nội, and Bình Định. Among them, certain fine art carpentry works were also exported to markets in Europe, North America, and Australia.
CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SPACE OF THE CRAFT
Along with the process of settlement and livelihood, the residents of Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An established places of worship dedicated to the pioneering founders who reclaimed the land and to the ancestral masters of the craft. The Kim Bồng Ancestral Communal House was built to embody the principle of “when drinking water, remember its source” and “when eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree”, reflecting the deep gratitude of the Kim Bồng people. In addition, successive generations of Kim Bồng descendants have built family ancestral halls and residential houses that also serve as places of worship.
The worship space and rituals of Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An are rich and diverse. Among these, worshiping the founding masters of the craft is a common practice in many families. The Kim Bồng carpenters do not identify a distinct founding ancestor of their own; instead, they worship the common carpentry patriarchs Lỗ Ban and Lỗ Bốc, as well as the patron deity of all crafts, Cửu Thiên Huyền Nữ or the venerable Tiên Sư.
In addition, every household engaged in carpentry maintains an altar dedicated to the craft’s ancestors, placed in a solemn position within the home. Each year, on the 6th day of the 1st lunar month, the Kim Bồng carpenters hold the death anniversary ceremony of the carpentry ancestors at the Kim Bồng Ancestral Communal House. This ritual on the 6th day of the 1st lunar month is also regarded as the opening day of business for carpentry guilds.
In recent years, the carpentry craft of Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An has gradually been restored and developed, contributing to the improvement of local livelihoods and the creation of employment opportunities for the community. This, in turn, has helped increase revenue for the “smokeless industry” of Cẩm Kim Commune in particular and Hội An City as a whole.
Alongside promoting the creativity of highly skilled and experienced artisans, the village has also trained many younger generations of carpenters to inherit the craft and ensure its continuity in the future. At present, the strong growth of tourism in Hội An has had a positive impact on the production and consumption of the village’s products, thereby contributing to the step-by-step revitalization of the carpentry tradition.
VALUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF KIM BỒNG TRADITIONAL CARPENTRY VILLAGE – HỘI AN
It can be affirmed that Kim Bồng carpentry holds immensely significant historical, cultural, and scientific values for the formation and development of the Hội An trading port town.
- Historical Value: The carpentry craft was established and developed quite early in history, not only in Hội An but throughout Đàng Trong. Kim Bồng carpentry played a principal role in the construction of townhouses, ancestral halls, communal houses, pagodas, and temples in Hội An and many rural villages in Đà Nẵng. Many Kim Bồng carpenters also contributed to the construction of the imperial citadel and mausoleums in Huế, as well as President Hồ Chí Minh’s Mausoleum.
In particular, the formation and development of Kim Bồng carpentry is one of the important foundations that determine the history of village and community formation in Hội An in particular and Đà Nẵng in general.
- Cultural Value: Over more than three centuries of existence, Kim Bồng carpentry has cultivated a highly skilled workforce of craftsmen who preserve knowledge, techniques, skills, and professional experience while nurturing younger generations. Many artisans of the village were honored as Tượng mục (Master Craftsmen) during the feudal era, and in modern times have been awarded the titles Meritorious Artisan and People’s Artisan. Today, these masters carry the mission of transmitting skills and experience to younger carpenters, enabling them to become highly skilled workers who contribute to preserving and promoting the cultural values of Hội An.
With talent, intelligence, dexterous and skillful hands, along with diligence and perseverance, Kim Bồng carpenters have left us exquisite works of art that remain to this day, not only in Hội An but also in other provinces and cities across the country. Through traditional carving techniques — including incised, relief, perforated, and multilayered openwork carving — they created harmonious forms, elegant curves, vivid patterns, and distinctive motifs that are exceptionally attractive, deeply traditional, and uniquely characteristic of Kim Bồng carpentry, unmatched anywhere else.
Through a process of cultural integration, absorption, and selective adaptation of external influences — as well as the exchanges and blending between Hội An and the cultures of Southeast Asia, Asia, and the West — Hội An became a convergence point of diverse artistic styles. From this, a unique Hội An style emerged, shaped in no small part by many generations of Kim Bồng carpenters.
In the current trend of renewal and integration, Kim Bồng carpentry enjoys favorable conditions for development, affirming its position and contributing to the preservation and promotion of local and national historical and cultural values.
- Scientific Value: Beyond its historical and cultural significance, Kim Bồng carpentry is also an important subject of research for various academic disciplines, including architecture, fine arts, history, and ethnology. From this, many scholarly articles and research works on Kim Bồng carpentry have been produced, providing valuable scientific information that contributes to preserving, safeguarding, and promoting this traditional craft of Cẩm Kim Commune in particular and Hội An in general.
With its outstanding values, Kim Bồng Traditional Carpentry Village – Hội An was officially recognized by the State as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage under Decision No. 4036/QĐ-BVHTTDL dated November 21, 2016, issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
DANANG CENTER FOR TOURISM PROMOTION
