The craft village that earns living by hammering in the capital
Located beside the busy VinHomes Smart City urban area, west of Hanoi, Phu Thu Village in Tay Mo Ward, Nam Tu Liem District appears to be immune to urbanization. Duong Thi Thu Huong, a villager of Phu Thu Village in Tay Mo Ward, Nam Tu Liem District of Hanoi introduces her family’s products. Photo: Tri Thuc Tre In the village, there are still peaceful tiny alleys and weathered old houses that are kept intact as treasures. Above all, no matter how life has changed, the people here are still passionate about their traditional handicraft of metalworking. For them, the hammer sounds are not only standing for the sustainability of their livelihood but also the rhythm of life and echoes from the past. Tay Mo used to be a purely agricultural ward with over 300 hectares of arable land, of which only about 10% still remains, due to a series of urbanization projects, particularly the construction of Thang Long Avenue. As a result, many households in Phu Thu Village decided to tu