For The Craft of Edible Bird’s Nest Harvesting in Thanh Chau – Hoi An, Danang City, the associated cultural space is, first and foremost, Thanh Chau Village, also known as the “Swiftlet Village.”
HISTORY OF FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Located to the east of Hoi An City, Thanh Chau is one of the earliest-established villages in Hoi An and once played a very important role in the city’s historical and cultural development. According to research findings, Thanh Chau Village was founded in the 17th century by six pioneering clans: Tran, Ho, Le, Nguyen, Pham, and Huynh. At that time, Thanh Chau Village also encompassed Vong Nhi Village — a settlement which, based on the ancestral stele of the Tran Van clan still preserved in Vong Nhi Hamlet, Cam Thanh Commune, was formed during the Canh Thong reign in the Year of the Horse (1498).
Throughout its development, Thanh Chau Village was later divided into Thanh Dong, Thanh Tay, and Thanh Nam Villages. Before 1945, Thanh Dong Village was further subdivided into Thanh Dong, Thanh Nhat, Thanh Nhi, and Thanh Tam.
Inheriting the cultural traditions of the Vietnamese people from the North and adapting to the ecological and social conditions of their new land, the inhabitants of Thanh Chau Village engaged in various occupations such as farming, fishing and seafood harvesting, and trading by ghe bầu boats. Most notably, they specialized in the harvesting and preliminary processing of swiftlet nests (edible bird’s nests) — a product ranked first among the “eight imperial delicacies” served to kings during the feudal era.
Several local legends recount the discovery and harvesting of swiftlet nests at Cu Lao Cham by the villagers of Thanh Chau. One legend tells that the craft of bird’s nest harvesting in Thanh Chau originated with a couple, Mr. Tran Tien and his wife, who were fishermen from the village. During a storm that swept their boat ashore onto the island, they accidentally discovered the nests. Another legend, called Nang Yen (Lady Swiftlet), explains that the presence of swiftlet nests is tied to the reincarnation of a young woman who, in order to save her father from starvation, used her own saliva to create food — which became the bird’s nest known today.
However, according to historical documents, as early as before the 13th century, the Chinese were already aware of the value of swiftlet nests, and several Southeast Asian peoples, including the Cham, had exploited this resource. Thus, in essence, the Vietnamese — particularly the people of Thanh Chau — inherited the techniques of edible bird’s nest harvesting from the Cham during their southward territorial expansion. Under the Nguyen Lords and later the Nguyen Dynasty, the harvesting of bird’s nests by Thanh Chau villagers gradually became more systematically organized, evolving from spontaneous practice into a professional craft, expanding from a local scope to encompass the entire central region.
According to several Han–Nom documents preserved by the descendants of the Tran and Ho clans in Cam Thanh, as well as related inscriptional records, history shows that the Tran and Ho clans of Thanh Chau Village played the principal role in the craft of edible bird’s nest harvesting.
PRODUCTION / HARVESTING PROCESS
Since 1975, the harvesting, processing, and consumption of edible bird’s nests in Hoi An have been overseen and supported by the Hoi An People’s Committee in terms of management, exploitation, and marketing. On December 20, 1975, the Hoi An Town People’s Committee (now Hoi An City) issued a decision to establish the Hoi An Edible Bird’s Nest Management and Harvesting Team, based on the original nest-harvesting team of the Thanh Chau swiftlet community.
From 1975 to the present, the Hoi An People’s Committee has invested in new equipment and implemented appropriate measures to ensure the safe and effective harvesting and protection of bird’s nests. These efforts have gradually increased both the yield and quality of the nests, while also maintaining stable market outlets, thereby creating a sustainable and continuous source of income for the community and contributing to local economic development.
CULTURAL SPACE AND PRODUCTION CONDITIONS
For The Craft of Edible Bird’s Nest Harvesting in Thanh Chau – Hoi An, the associated cultural space is first and foremost Thanh Chau Village, also known as the “Swiftlet Village” — the first and only village in Hoi An historically associated with the establishment of bird’s nest harvesting. To this day, the swiftlet village area in Cam Thanh has preserved its rural atmosphere, with village paths, hamlets, and houses reflecting distinctive traditional features.
The harvesting grounds of the craft are located on several islets of Cu Lao Cham, about 15 km offshore, including Kho Cave on Kho Me Islet; Xanh Reu Cave, Bac Cau Cave, Ky Trau Cave, and Can Cave on Tai Islet; as well as To Vo Cave, Ca Cave, Cot Buom Cave, and Tran Quy Cave on Lao Islet.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
With the accumulated experience, knowledge, customs, and taboos observed during practice, together with the tools and means used for harvesting, and especially with the natural gift of bird’s nests, the existence and development of The Craft of Edible Bird’s Nest Harvesting in Thanh Chau – Hoi An has produced for Hoi An a truly distinctive and valuable bird’s nest product.
It is precisely because of the outstanding historical, cultural, scientific, and economic values of the craft that, on November 21, 2016, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 4036/QĐ-BVHTTDL, inscribing The Craft of Edible Bird’s Nest Harvesting in Thanh Chau – Hoi An on the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, together with Kim Bong Carpentry in Cam Kim.
DA NANG CITY TOURISM PROMOTION CENTER
