Learn to incense at Cao’s career village in Bao Khe commune, Hung Yen city= Tìm hiểu nghề làm hương xạ Cao Thôn, xã Bảo khê, Thành phố Hưng Yên

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI
INSTITUTE OF VIETNAMESE STUDIES AND DEVELOPMENT SCIENCES
***


NGUYEN HAI HAU



LEARN TO INCENSE AT CAO THON VILLAGE
IN BAO KHE COMMUNE, HUNG YEN CITY


MASTER’S THESIS
Major: Vietnamese studies









Ha Noi - 2013
VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI
INSTITUTE OF VIETNAMESE STUDIES AND DEVELOPMENT SCIENCES
***


NGUYEN HAI HAU

LEARN TO INCENSE AT CAO THON VILLAGE
IN BAO KHE COMMUNE, HUNG YEN CITY



Master thesis specified in : Vietnamese studies
Code: 60.22.01.13



Supervisor: Ph.D Associate professor Vu Van Quan






Ha Noi - 2014

COMMITMENT
The tittle of thesis: LEARN TO INCENSE AT CAO THON VILLAGE IN
BAO KHE COMMUNE, HUNG YEN CITY is a study about of Hung Yen village
from establishment. The material source of thesis consists of secondary material
and primary material. The primary materials are quoted with clear note ensuring
the objective characters of material and copyright of authors. This thesis is not
coincident with any studies about Cao village before. Mentioned Scientific
theoretical points and conclusions and collected materials in the thesis ensuring
the true and objective characters. I want to reflect the research object truly and

objectively.


Learner





Nguyen Hai Hau






ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I select the tittle LEARN TO INCENSE AT CAO THON VILLAGE IN BAO
KHE COMMUNE, HUNG YEN CITY as my thesis. This is a serious and scientific
research. It is the result of learning process at Vietnam studies Institute
Development and Science under the direction of teachers, and the help of Bach
khoa íntitute where I work. I would like to thank to highly valuable help.
I would like to thank Ph.D Associate professor Vu Van Quan whose
instruction and guidance help me complete this thesis. I would like to thank Bao
Khe commune, Cao hamlet that helped me have material source. Especially, the
people of Cao village, artisans Dao Duc Co helped me in survey process to
complete the thesis. I would like to express gratitude to your sincere guidance
Yours Sincerely !

Ha Noi, November,2013

Learner









Nguyen Hai Hau

1
THESIS

THESIS 1
INTRODUCTION 4
1. Reasons for selecting topics 4
2. Research objectives 7
3. Object and scope of research 7
4. Research methodology 7
5 .Scientific and practical significance of problems 8
5.1 . Scientific significance 8
5.2 Practical significance 8
6 . Structure of the thesis 8
Chapter 1: OVERVIEW 10
1.1. Research about villages 10
1.1.1. General research 10

1.1.2. Concept of village 12
1.1.3. Concept of incense 17
1.1.4. Trends of traditional villages in the process of industrialization and
modernization 17
1.2 .Overview of Cao Thon village 19
1.2.1. Geographical location 19
1.2.2. History of the development village 21
1.2.3. Economic-Social 22
1.2.4. Family, clan 24
1.2.5. Culture 26
1.3. Direction of the thesis 28
Chapter 2: CAO THON’S CAREER VILLAGE 29
2.1. Background and career incense in Cao Thon 29

2
2.2. Process of producing and techniques 31
2.2.1. Materials 31
2.2.3. Process to make a product 42
2.2.4. Division of labor in the process making career 48
2.3. Psychology and personality of workers 49
2.3.1. Requirements for workers 49
2.3.2. Relationship between workers. 51
CHAPTER 3 REALITIES AND SOLUTIONS TO DEVELOP CAREER
MAKING INCENSE CURRENTLY IN CAO THON VILLAGE 54
3.1. Development 54
3.1.1. Development in the economic aspect 54
3.1.2. Development in the society aspect 57
3.1.3. Development in the environmental aspect 58
3.2. Factors affected the development of the career village 59
3.2.1. Feature of the product 59

3.2.2. Introduction and sales product 61
3.2.3. Capital and raw material resource 62
3.2.4. Production premises 63
3.3. Overall assessment 64
3.3.1. Advantages 64
3.3.2. Shortcomings 64
3.3.3. Reasons 65
3.4. Vvillage development policies 65
3.4.1. Policies of the state 65
3.4.2. Policies of the local 67
3.4.3. Development viewpoints and orientations 68
3.5. Solutions to implement sustainable development the career incense in
Cao Thon village 69

3
3.5.1. Solutions about products market 69
3.5.2 . Solutions about capital 70
3.5.3 . Solutions about providing material 70
3.5.4 .Solutions about human resource 71
3.5.5 . Solutions about area to product 72
3.5.6. Solutions about conservating the artisans and the secrets of career 72
OUTCOMES CHAPTER 3 77
CONCLUSION 78
LIST OF REFERENCES 80

4
INTRODUCTION

1. Reasons for selecting topics
From ancient times until now, the ritual worship of ancestral spirits of the

Eastern countries have custom of burning incense sticks. The different religions,
peoples, regions worship different gods. The specific rituals processes are
various, but the basic rules are the same.
To make the incenses is not only the secret of raw materials, preparation,
cure but also the spirit, the mind and the hard work of the craftsmen. And that
Vietnamese people see how people burn incense on the altar of the ancestors is a
traditional cultural indispensable belief and existed for a long time during the
death anniversaries, holidays. The incense is like a bridge between the spiritual
life of each person with spiritual realms of heaven and earth. It can be said that
the incense has crept into the bottom corner of the life and has an important role
in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people in particular and Easterners in
general.
Lighting the incense on the altar to ancestors or visiting at temples,
shrines and pagodas has become a beauty in the spiritual and cultural life of
Vietnamese people. The incense is like a bridge between people of the two
worlds. So incense is not merely commodity which has become a spiritual
product, with important implications in the spiritual life of man. The incense has
become the traditional work of many traditional career village s over the country
include the career incense in Cao Thon Village, Bao Khe Commune, Hung Yen
City, it is a long traditional career village as well as respected about highly
qualified incense to consumers.
Hung Yen citizens are always proud of their land - a country with the
special cultural tradition. It is also a place to keep the historical culture, “the
spiritual land of heroes" has fostered many cultural, national heroes As the

5
birthplace and preserve types culture, unique folk arts like cheo singing, hat sam,
trong quan went deep into the consciousness of the people in Hung Yen . They
are also proud of Pho Hien, one of the famous bustling trade port in Vietnam in
the 17th century, where trade and exchange of population in many regions of the

country and the foreign traders, "first is Capital, second is Pho Hien " .
Hung Yen, vibrant era with 85 traditional career villages, of which there
are well-developed villages, the villages are in danger of disappearing from the
list of villages, there are many career reviving now about 60 villages are acting
Making incense isnot appeared from early, basing on the available reports
about incense existed from 19th century and was introduced from abroad to Viet
Nam. Before 2000, most of people in Cao Thon village lived on agriculture, their
income came from rice but making incense was only exited in some households.
The level of production was small individual not a commodity product and
brough as a sideline but after 2000 some passionate families who sincery of his
father career started to take care how to develop their elder career. Since then
the living standard of Cao Thon village have changed better than before.
Making incense have been living for hundred years in Cao Thon village
.In 2004 Cao Thon village had recorgnized as a traditional village by Hung Yen
High Commission. In 2007 Cao Thon village also had recorgnized as a
traditional career village with separate brands. And recently the craff village club
has hold the first meeting of the direction for the development of the traditional
career village.The congress set the stage direction that is trying to achieve
growth rate of 16 to 20 percent. Upcoming business producers focus to help
reduce environmental pollution. This is the premise toward planned industrial
village park, promoting development and improving the quality of traditional
products.
Good news came to the people in Cao Thon village, recently business
association in Hung Yen province have given out the individual logo for the

6
traditional career then step by step set up and advertise the brands to all people in
Hung Yen and also all people in Vietnam. So the making incense village still
retains prospects and stable development .
Incense of Cao Thon village is a traditional product which has become

familiar to consumers in Hung Yen and neighboring provinces. Villager had
spent almost two hundred years to live and go along with incense. Through
many ups and downs, incense of Cao Thon village has a special quality that few
other villages can compare from the flavor such as aromantic, starting the fire
and form. The incense at Cao Thon village of Hung yen city has also become a
target of servey and researchers to many scientist, writers in Vietnam.There
have been many books of researchers, scientists in and outside the province
written about making incense village as in the book: Hung Yen Press
Geographical Balance in 1934 which written by Trinh Nhu Tau and „‟Hai
Hung‟s traditional career “which written by the Department of culture and
Information and „‟Hai Hung‟s traditional career” whih written by the Department
of science and technolodgy and environment in 1995 and book “Hung Yen area
alluvial culture “ witten by Nguyen Phuc Lai” the preservation and promotion of
cultural values intangible. Cao Thon incense career village prepared by Mr
Hoang Manh Thang. Most of the material was made and only focuses on the
research of history of the village, the geographical location of the village, the
legend of the training, village‟s tools, production process and method of
consumption , but stop at the level of a brief introduction and owverview of the
general context of the traditional career village of Hung Yen province. The
documents do not analise the technical stages of step to make incense in deeply.
The transformation of native village in the context of industrialization and
modernization of the country, not only provide the solution to specific public
conversation and resolve the difficulties to go into the sustainable development
There can generalize the reason that the author choose the topic “LEARN

7
TO INCENSE AT CAO THON VILLAGE IN BAO KHE COMMUNE,
HUNG YEN CITY‟‟ as following.
First, Separate to others traditional villages, career incense produces not
only commodities but also religious production. Each incense stick brings the

physical structure and contains special spiritual values
Second, for students in researching area, Cao Thon village‟s problem is a
good condition to research
Third, the problem of making incense village in Cao Thon is the common
problem of many others in the processing of industrialization and modernization,
so to solve this problem effectively of this career village will be the lesson to
solve the problem for other career villages.
2. Research objectives
Through researching the target, we would like to present a systematic way
about Cao Thon village Bao Khe commune Hung Yen city from the past to
present , in the overall development of the series of career villages in Hung Yen
province.
Major part in this thesis we are devoted to the production processes on
incense with two production techniques are handmade and machine. Along with
the presentation of actual production we would like to find out the cause that
makes the economy up and gives out the developing solution in the future.
3. Object and scope of research
The career incens in Cao Thon village of Bao Khe commune in Hung Yen
city is the major object of the research.
There are many problems but we are special focused on the production
process and the development of the village in the period of industrialization and
modernization.
4. Research methodology
- Interdisciplinary research,

8
- Statistical
- Find out the relationship
- Synthesis
- Compare and contrast

5 . Scientific and practical significance of problems
5.1 . Scientific significance
Firstly, this thesis is the application of research methods in a region -
specific research units. Author 's work without large-scale research projects such
as the education sector has been made but it will also contribute to certain
specified on the research methods learned into practice areas .
Second, the results from the research of a particular village will
contribute significantly to research problems in the village of modernization of
rural areas today, particularly issues associated with the development corridor
new rural construction of the Party and State have been deployed throughout the
country .
5.2 Practical significance
First, the thesis addressed honestly the problem is set in the village of
incense Cao village, if the solution is given back to the application adequately
address the problems in the village .
Monday, but the results, lessons learned from the research process can be
applied to the research of other villages in the context of modernization .
6 . Structure of the thesis
The thesis is composed of three chapters :
Chapter 1 : Overview

9
Chapter 2 : Career incense in Cao Thon Village
Chapter 3 : Status and solutions to develop the career incense in Cao
Thon currently .




10

Chapter 1: OVERVIEW

1.1. Research about career village
1.1.1. General research
The issue of village early made the researchers interested in Vietnam.
The first book written about village as "Du Dia Chi" [50] by Nguyen Trai, was
appeared in XV century.The work of Nguyen Trai is not a monograph about
village but in the book there are some articles wrote about the region of the
country including records about career or the typical product, so this work also
contributed in making certain painting about career villagesystem in our country
XV century.
The book "The farmers of the Northern Delta" spent an important
content to mention this issue. With the knowledge of a human geologist, Pierre
Gourou had condition to survey career villagecomprehensively, went on most
types of industrial village, reviewed the factors that make up the distribution
about Crafts village. Especially, he analyzed the nature of industrial villages that
is Family industry, which affected aspects of production such as division of
labor, organization of production and development of all handicrafts.Those
analysis are very important. After the work of Pierre Gourou for many years, in
Vietnam, many authors investigated for career village s did not mention the
nature of this, so they did not review the economic village. However, the survey
of Pierre Gourou was not completely full , with a large space, he missed some
career villages, this will be clearly mentioned in our next chapter. And with
research spanning all aspects related to farmers of the Red River delta,
handicareer villageissue is mentioned less satisfactory. In 1957, two books
written about the craft were in turn published "Draft about industry history of
Vietnam" by Pham Gia Ben [ 1 ]. The work of Phan Gia should be evaluated as a

11
first book written about the value of traditional handicrafts of Vietnam after the

August Revolution in the North. In presenting the history of the craft, the author
focused on the French stage. This work outlined the history of the industry in
thousands of years, and the material on the craft under the French was really
made sense to the researchers behind this. However, studies of Phan Gia about
the career village s break its back side, where the craft was born and survived
Therefore, his book was considered as a stop point of research works on the
history of craft. After a long time, the problem about the trade of village was not
concerned, there was not the great work on this issue. To 1986, a new works
really left his mark in the research of village is a doctoral thesis "a number of
trade villages in northern in the century XVIII - XIX" by Nguyen Quang Ngoc [
37 ]. Based on the research of a number of villages in the central business Delta
as Da Nguu, Bao Dap, Phu Luu authors had shown the appearance of
commercial village in Vietnam before the twentieth century, this historical work
can be considered as a research about first -class career village s in the North.
In recent years, the development of traditional crafts and traditional
career villages in the rural areas are increasingly concerned. There have been
many articles and some research on this issue in these aspects and different
ranges. Scientific topics of Ministry level "Building the development model
about traditional village and Vietnam light industry" by the Ministry Industry
(1996 ) have made comments about the role, strengths and limitations of the
career villages system in our rural areas, building models of producting
organization and management can be applied in the traditional village of light
industry Vietnam [2]. The contribution of this work is only stopped at the
production problems of the village. Many books written about the village was
born. Do Thi Hao and Tran Quoc Vuong (1996) with the book "Traditional
Handicrafts Vietnam and the ancestors" a brief introduction about the traditional
craft of Vietnam and the emphasis on the profession ancestors and offer a some

12
major problems in preserving and developing traditional handicrafts [22]. The

book "village, Thang Long-Hanoi City craft" of Tran Quoc Vuong is the in-
depth research of villages within Ha Noi ( not extended ). Author Mai The Hon
in his book "Developing traditional villages in the process of industrialization
and modernization" (2003) gave an overview of the situation of villages in the
Red River Delta , the trend of growing traditional villages in the current age [30].
In 2004, thesis "Development career village in the process of industrialization
and modernization "of protected Tran Minh Yen [55]. This work also provides
research problem with Mai The Hon of more but more broadly. Two additional
works have some problems about theory career village, lessons learned from a
number of countries, the actual situation as well as the direction and
development of career village s in the period of industrialization - modernization.
However, two limitations of this process studied through extensive view,
focused on theory without application. If you go deeper into a specific of career
villages, the work can be the value deeper.
The villages making incense Cao Thon, Bao Khe, Hung Yen city also
has many scientists, anthropologist in local and outside city to find out. Some
books mentioned this village in Cao Thon as "geographical Hung Yen" Trinh
Nhu Tau in 1934 [43]; the book "Hai Hung traditional profession "of cultural
information department [28, tr.163 - 176 ]; book "Hai Hung traditional
profession" of science technology and environment department in 1995 the book
"Hung Yen cultural alluvial area" of Nguyen Phuc Lai [34, p. 112-116 ] the
village making incense written in the documents with very modest amount, just
stop at 5 to 10 pages of the book. Contents are sketchy, merely is an overview of
the craft of a local tradition, and written by descriptions.
1.1.2. Concept of village
So far, Vietnam has dozens of theses, dissertations, and this work, the

13
author did not want to bring new concept only summarize these views before to
provide a theoretical basis for their research.

Professor Tran Quoc Vuong has the definition about villages as follows:
Village (such as Bat Trang, Tho Ha, Phu Lang, Huong Canh Grapefruit
village, Vo, He Nom, Thieu Ly, Phuoc Kieu, Phuoc Kieu , the paper village in
Grapefruit, Duong O , Canh Dien iron village, Phu Du, Da Hoi ), although
the village grow under smallholder and raise small livestock (pigs, chickens )
there are also some other occupations (knitting, soyal, soyal bean ) but it has
some prominent traditional craft, fine craft class with a professional or semi-
professional, (organizational structure), with bosses, and some workers and small
craftsmen, have diligence, have certain technological processes "alive for art, die
for art", "The most refined technology, the most honored relatives" living
primarily in the craft and produce handcrafted items, the items were with the fine
arts, have become commodity products and marketing relationship with the
market and surrounding areas with urban markets, capital (Ke Cho, Hue,
Saigon ) and proceed to expand to all country and even to export abroad. The
village was known more or less long (hundred thousand years ago) the people
know the country names, the village names, into history, into folk become
folklore heritage [54, p. 21]. According to Bui Van Vuong, the "traditional
village is traditional crafts village. Here it is not necessarily for the villagers to
produce handicrafts. The craftsmen are also farming (farmers ). But the highly
specialized requirements have created workers to product specialized production
at the traditional village " [53, Tr.13]
Overall, at present, there are three concepts of the village:
The first concept: The village is place most people in the village do
activities for that craft and use it as a profession to live. But with such a concept,
the village is now not so much. For example, only pottery village of Phu Lang (

14
Bac Ninh ), Bat Trang (Hanoi) That is the village without farming, and almost
they work in the fields as well as professional. Here, the industry craft for them
is only the occupations increases income. Even in Bat Trang, pottery specialist,

but not all villagers are doing this career, some people do pottery only 50% of
the population, while 50% of the population are doing other careers such as
sales, masonry, carpentry, sewing
The second concept: village is a traditional career village, here it is not
necessary for all the villagers producing crafts. Many people are craftsmen as well
as farmers. Due to the highly specialized requirements have created specialized
workers produce traditional crafts at the career villageor other village. The concept
of villages is not enough. Not all of the villages have any blacksmith or a few
carpenterry are career village s. To determine which village is the career village
or not, we need to see the proportion of workers employed or the number of
households compared to the entire labor and households in the village, or the
proportion of income from trades to the total income of the village.
The third concept is the center of craft production, where brings together
artisans and households specialized in manufacturing, selling style of products,
the type system of small and medium businesses, and have the same ancestor, it
is a business entity existence and long development in history, is an economic
unit for handicrafts and have enormous effects on economic life - cultural -
social in a positive way.
From the approach above we can see the concept of the village relate
with the specific craft. The name of Village associated with the name of the craft
such as pottery, bronze casting, pearl, jewelry, textile, paper, silk, Previously,
the concept about village only covered craft career. Today, the trade services in
rural areas are also covered into the career village . Thus, there will have village
which only has one type of craft and village has many career villages,

15
depending on the number of trades and service industries predominate in the
village. The village with one craft is a unique appearance village and survival
craft and profession absolute, the other craft in some households are negligible.
The village appeared more professional and existed many professional

occupations have dominated almost equal. In the rural, villages of Vietnam
before had a professional appeared and existed primarily, but recently many
career village s appear and trend to develop strongly.
So the village is a cluster of residents in a village, with a career or some
careers separated from agriculture to produce independent business. Income
from careers has the high proportion in the total value of all products of the
village. Criteria to be considered for a particular village is:
- Number of households do one or more specialized craft about 40-50 % -
Income from craft about over 50 % ;
- The value of accounted products over 50 % of the total output of the
village.
However, these criteria are not absolute, they have relative significance
in quantitative terms. Because, in each village there is the difference in the scale
of production, process technology, and the nature of the products and the number
of workers involved in the production process. Therefore, the development and
movements of the village are usually different in each period.
Today, the challenges of the market economy, and science and
technology with the division of labor has developed in a higher level, it is not
confined to the village which only product profession craft. This can be
understood in two angles: First, the production technology is not entirely manual
as before, many villages have adopted the technology of mechanical engineering.
Second, in the village, while producing develops at higher level will rise the
development of many other career to serve it. So many people provide the

16
service and consumption materials for household and production facilities, thus
forming and developing the village with the model combined many career.
Besides the concept about village, there has the concept about traditional
village. In this concept, there have also three different views.
The first concept: a traditional village is a resident community, lives in a

locality in rural areas apart from agriculture, and has one or many craft with a
long tradition, to produce one or variety of products to sell in the market for
profit. This concept expresses the factor of the ancient tradition, but the new
villages following the factor of the tradition of zones or areas is not mentioned.
The second concept : traditional village is the village does the craft with
a long tradition, often for generations. This concept is incompleted. Because
when speaking to traditional villages we not only pay attention to the individual ,
but also pay attention to many aspects of space and time , that is interested in the
systematic , comprehensive feature of the village, in which, the deciding factor is
the artists, products, manufacturing techniques, and the art methods.
The third concept: Traditional villages are villages with absolute
majority population do the traditional career. It was formed , existed and
developed in a long history, was followed from generation to generation follow
the type of hereditary or at least existed for decades. In the village, production is
centralized, with many talented artists and a group of skilled people to develop
nuclear profession. At the same time,the products are made following the typical
nature unique, sophisticated, and national culture. The value of the production
and the income, handicraft of villages is 50 % of the total value of production
and income in year in the village.
From the concept of traditional villages there are many different ways to
learn. But to clarify the concept of traditional villages should have the following
criteria:
- The number of households and the number of workers employed in

17
traditional villages reaches 50% or more compared to the total number of
households and the labor of the village.
- The value of production and income from traditional industry in the
village is over 50 % of the total value of production and income in year in the
village.

- Products made with fine art bringing up the nature of cultural and
national factors Vietnam.
- Production has certain technological processes, are transmitted from
generation to generation.
From approaches and research can be defined:
Traditional villages are those villages have one or more of the traditional
craft separated from agriculture to business and bringing up the main income for
the year. The craftsmanship that has been passed down from generation to
generation, usually several generations. Along with the challenges of the time,
the career villagehas become dominant, a number of traditional craft, with a class
of professional craftsmen or dedicated professional craftsmen focus on
producting, with certain technological processes and living mainly on that.
Products made with the fine arts and has become a commodity in the market.
1.1.3. Concept of incense
Incense is a kind of material (as grasses, trees such as yarrow,
sandalwood) will be burned after a scent. Burning is effective in cleaning the air,
the spirit that is refreshing. Whenever the invoking spirits, ancestors who so
often burning incense is more functional hyphen between humans and the divine,
between ancestors and descendants.
At first people used the herbalist is available in natural gas burners, was
later made into products today.
1.1.4. Trends of traditional villages in the process of industrialization and

18
modernization
With the trend of market to the economy, globalization and the world
economic integration and regions gave the condition for traditional village
development towards more favorable. From then, traditional villages will move
from the industrial to the small and medium industries.
Because of the open policy, foreign goods entering the country has created

competition, a part of handicareer village s can meet risk or even can not
compete in the domestic market. Especially in some traditional items with
national culture had not focused on modernization, so they lost the domestic
market as well as international market, such as lacquer painted, embroidery, folk
painting,
However, traditional villages also changed following the demand of
market. In the process of industrialization and modernization of the traditional,
villages are always competed by new technologies, such as village casting
bronze (pots, trays, brass) was lost when replacing by aluminum, villages
producing bamboo knitting was replaced by plastic recently, Dong Ho folk
painting village (Bac Ninh) is replaced by the modern technologies. Cao Thon is
one of the career villages producting incense, is being affected by market and
influenced by the process of industrialization and modernization in rural areas.
When these products about modern incense are prevailing, market of the
traditional insece is being narrowed, just like the career villageabove, Cao Thon
can not be no industrialized and modernized in order to survive.
Moreover, in condition about economic recently, many traditional villages
have restored and developed, have the tends to innovate profession to meet the
needs of industries such as outsourcing stone changed to exploit building stone,
making hats in Phu Tien (Hung Yen) moved to produce the sea buoy at the
same time , many new villages appear and spread out on the basis of traditional
villages that is building village Noi Due, transport village Trung Kenh (Bac

19
Ninh), village producing building materials Da Ton, Xuan Quang (Ha Noi),
village food processing Cat Que, La Phu (Ha Tay)
In many traditional career villages have tended to replace a part of manual
labor such as carpentry using saws, planers, universal furniture, making noodles,
pancakes, sausages were made by machine
Thus, in the process of industrialization and modernization and

international integration, traditional villages still exist and develop, but have
modified according to the needs of the market. Currently there are over 50
villages of the Red River Delta have been transformed by modernization trend,
Cao Thon village is one of them.
Thus, we have clarified some concepts of villages and career villages, the
features and the changes of career villagevaried in the context of
industrialization and modernization and given the result that villages making
incense Cao Thon village is one of the career villages, but there have been
tremendous changes in the context of industrialization and modernization.
1.2 .Overview of Cao Thon village
1.2.1. Geographical location
Cao Thon village lies far from Hung Yen center city 5km to the north, on
Highway 39A, located in Bao Khe Commune, Hung Yen city. The village is
known for its name Dong Lo. According to the book "The names of villages in
Vietnam at the beginning of the nineteenth century, ''Dong Lo is one of the six
villages under Tong Tien Cau, Kim Dong district, Khoai Chau, Hung Yen.
Through the process of formation and development, dense populatation , Dong
Lu was separated into different villages. According to the document "Places and
reserved document about village in the northern", Dong Lo has three villages:
Cao Thon, Tien Thon, Thuong Thon under Tong Tien Cau (Tong Tien Cau
includes communes: Tien Cau, Dong Lo (Cao Thon, Tien Thon, Thuong Thon),
Tra Lam, Suoi Khe, Luong Xa, Bao Khe.

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Cao Thon is in the middle of Bao Khe commune with a total area of 44
177 ha, including 250 households with more than 800 people. To the north is the
large lotus pond bordered with Doan Thuong village, to the south is the Cao
Thon Temple rural village bordered with Trieu Tien village, to the west is near
the high way 39A, with pagoda village and the Red River dikes running parallel
to the village, to the east is the fields of the village .

With position is parallel highway 39A, has created many favorable
conditions for local to develop economic and social, especially in traditional
crafts . On the highway 39A has one part of the road connecting to Highway 5 at
Pho Noi, is an arterial road of the economic centrals in Red River Delta, Hanoi,
Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh. It is also the cultural center, especially for
the spiritual culture. The other end of this road goes straight to Hung Yen city,
then splits into two directions, one is to Trieu Duong bridge to the Thai Binh,
another is to Yen Lenh bridge, through highway 1 to Ha Nam and goes into the
south of country. This is the road which can deliver products of village
development in the country .
Cao Thon village today is located in Hung Yen City, located 5km from
the city center . Hung Yen City today is the ancient land Pho Hien, one of the
busiest shopping centers in our country in the sixteenth century, the seventeenth .
Currently, Hung Yen City has two appearance: tradition with the quiet streets,
solemn and ancient monuments and one busy Hung Yen with the process
industrialization and modernization of the country. That is also condition to
develop the professional making incense.
Being a provinces has a systems historical cultural stand the No. 2 in the
country, including the famous monuments, such as ChuongTemple, MauTemple,
Xich Dang Temple ( Hung Yen City ); Nom Temple, Thai Lac pagoda (Van
Lam), Da Hoa Temple, Da Trach (Khoai Chau ) with the spirit of cultural
activities held regularly during the year is a relatively large market for incense

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Cao Thon consumpting their unique products.
Hung Yen in general, Cao Thon in particular located in the central of the
northern delta, the terrain is relatively stable, flat, no hills. The front of village is
Red River running crossing, barrier people with alluvial rivers like night and day
and as it want to far down the land. The alluvial has made the moving the river
changed direction. This has impacted to changes the economic of Cao Thon.

This is a gateway for people in Cao Thon to trade and exchange ancient boats,
which traces remain now is the old station, according to the elder in the village,
that is the temple with three roofs, lying on river bank, flowing through Cao
Thon village.
1.2.2. History of the development village
Dong Lo village under Tong Tien Cau, Kim Dong now handed a story
about the formation of 3 villages .
Three villages: Tien, Thuong, Cao were the former of Dong Lo village
before, then splited into three villages. But the villages wanted their name on or in
front of the other villages, it had lost a lot of money to bribe local authorities.
Local authorities skillfully used the meaning of the language equivalent to please
everyone, named for the village: Tien is Tien Thon, now changes into Tien Thang,
Thuong now changes into Doan Thuong and Cao nowdoes not still change.
This story circulated outside the local. In our opinion, it only appeared in
the late 19th century after breaking Hoang Xa dike in 1890, it impacted the
geographic of this local population. However, before the three villages always
intimated relationships sticking closely, associated with water activities, Cao
Thon traded boats.
After the August Revolution, Dong Lo called Bao Khe. In the war against
French changed in to Hiep Cuong, in 1955 changed into Tu Do. Since 1970
known as Bao Khe. Bao Khe includes 5 villages: Tieu Tien, Tien Thang, Doan
Thuong, Van Tuong, Cao Thon