Quat Dong Embroidery Village

Quat Dong Embroidery Village is a traditional handicraft village located in Quat Dong Commune, Thuong Tin District, about 30 km south of central Hanoi. Established in the 17th century, it is renowned as the birthplace of Vietnamese embroidery. The village is notable for preserving centuries-old hand-embroidery techniques used to create detailed pictures, ao dai, and ceremonial costumes, and remains an active craft community.

Visitors can expect a quiet rural village setting with family-run workshops and houses where artisans work on large embroidery frames. You can observe hand-embroidery processes from design tracing to stitching, view finished embroidered paintings, tablecloths, and traditional costumes on display, and visit the memorial temple dedicated to the craft ancestor Le Cong Hanh. The village has narrow lanes, small shops selling embroidered products, and opportunities to interact with artisans.

The village was founded as an embroidery center in the 17th century by Le Cong Hanh (1606-1661), a native of Quat Dong who learned embroidery techniques while on a diplomatic mission to China and taught them to villagers upon his return. The craft flourished under the Le Dynasty, supplying embroidered costumes and items for the royal court and mandarins, and has been passed down through generations for over 300 years.

Quat Dong is recognized as the ancestral village of Vietnamese embroidery and is listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage craft village. It preserves traditional Vietnamese hand-embroidery artistry, plays a central role in the cultural identity of Thuong Tin District, and continues to produce ceremonial and decorative embroidery for cultural and religious use while sustaining local livelihoods.