CRAFTS
CRAFT · FOODBánh Mì in Hội AnEarliest trace: the 1940sHội An's bánh mì is famous through its shops with big names. This account goes the other way, towards the oven. It rests mainly on an article in the town heritage centre's bulletin, which sets down two residents' memories of local bakeries from the 1940s on. No document says when the first loaf reached the town.CRAFT · FOODCao LầuOrigin undetermined · earliest trace from the 19th centuryCao lầu noodle-making rests on three plain things: hard-grained rice, clear water, ash strained from the kitchen fire. It reverses one step almost no other noodle uses — cooks cut the strand before it steams, not after.CRAFT · LANTERNSThe Lantern Craft of Hội An16th century – presentThe lantern was not made to be a souvenir. It came with Chinese-born traders to a river port, faded when electric light arrived, and was called back to life by a decision to turn the power off one night a month.CRAFT · BAMBOO & COCONUTThe Bamboo and Coconut-Leaf Huts of Cẩm ThanhEarly 20th century – presentNobody drives a nail into a Cẩm Thanh bamboo house. The frame is split bamboo, the roof and walls are woven coconut leaf, and every joint is held by rattan cord, later nylon. The craft nearly disappeared in the 1990s, when cheap manufactured materials arrived and residents were glad to leave the old huts behind. It survived by turning into exactly what visitors now come to see.