VIARAMI
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Ornate incense burner in front of a yellow temple gate.

Cẩm Kim

Ornate incense burner in front of a yellow temple gate.

Cẩm Kim is an island south west of the Vietnamese city of Hoi An. It can be reached either by boat or by a bridge.

Since the 15th century people on the island create products. The built ships, cabinets, carpets and woodworking products. Back then woodworkers worked amongst others for the former capital Hue and were also great demand for their products beyond that.

Yellow gate with ornate dragon details and dark wooden doors.

There are several temples on the island. A Taoist temple is the “Nhà Thờ Tộc Huỳnh”. It’s right next to a school.

Yellow Taoist temple gate in Hoi An, Vietnam, with incense burner in front.
Red flowers in front of a red ornate window of a Taoist temple in Hoi An, Vietnam.
Yellow wall with a tiled roof, topped with anti-climb spikes, and palm trees in the background.
Taoist temple shrine in Hoi An, Vietnam, with colorful painted wall and stone markers.
Ornate incense burner in a Taoist temple courtyard.
Blue-painted wall relief depicting deer and foliage.
Close-up of a weathered white marble statue's paw, featuring smaller lion-like figures.
The Unicorn
 
The East Asian version of a unicorn is the qilin. It is, obviously, a mythical creature. The first references to the qilin appear in the 5th century BC in China. In Vietnam, the Qilin is called “Kỳ lân Trung Hoa”, or short as “Kỳ lân”.
 
In this temple on Cẩm Kim there are two statues in front of the entrance. A male and a female figure. The female figure is on the left and can be recognized by the fact that a child is under her foot.

White marble statue of a Qilin, a mythical creature.
Ornate gold chandelier with crystal accents hanging in a Vietnamese temple.
Wooden table and chairs in a room with framed photos and a schedule board.
Seating area in the inside of the temple

Making Rice Noodles

Person making rice noodles in Vietnam.

The traditional way
 
On Cam Kim there are several family businesses specialising in the production of rice noodles.
They still produce the noodles in the traditional way. It all starts with rice and water. First the rice is soaked in water and then milled. The result is a white milky dough.
 
The white paste is placed on a large skillet and distributed. The preparation reminds a bit of the production of pancakes or crepes. Then the pancake is put aside to dry.

Later it is cut with a knife or a machine.

Traditional Vietnamese rice noodle making: a ladle spreading batter on a round surface.
Person making rice noodles in Vietnam using traditional methods.
Two metal pot lids on pots in a dark setting.
A person making rice noodles in Vietnam.
Sheets of rice noodles drying on a bamboo rack.
Person in striped shirt using knife to cut flat rice noodles on cutting board.
Cutting the fresh "rice pancakes" into noodles with a knife
Person using a machine to cut rice noodles.
Or with a machine
Broken pieces of Vietnamese rice noodle snack on a metal tray with dipping sauce.
A popular snack is the fresh rice pancakes between two baked ones. Then you can dip it into a spicy fish sauce.

Making Boats

Traditional Vietnamese boat being built by two men.
Two men building a wooden boat by a river.
Two men building a wooden boat.
Close-up of a weathered wooden boat's hull, featuring a painted oval eye-like detail.

Looking at you
 
Most boats get two eyes painted on. According to the legend and myths, they are supposed to protect the passengers against evil spirits and monsters.

Close-up of a weathered wooden boat's prow, adorned with painted eyes.

Making Sleeping Mates

Woman weaving colorful mat on traditional loom.
Bundles of dyed reeds for making traditional Vietnamese sleeping mats.
A couple handcrafts a colorful woven sleeping mat using traditional Vietnamese methods.
Close-up of a traditional Vietnamese sleeping mat being woven on a loom.
Black and white close-up of a person's hands weaving a sleeping mat on a traditional Vietnamese loom.
Hoi An
Hoi An river scene with colorful buildings and boats.
Hoi An – Part 1
Hoi An is an old city in Vietnam – Full of history, boats, lampions and tourists.
A man sits on a stone by a river, in front of shops and people in Hoi An.
Hoi An – Part 2
Daily life in Hoi An can be very calm, especially if you can imagine that there are no tourists.
Small white dog sitting in doorway of weathered yellow building.
Hoi An – Part 3
Hoi An is a very colourful city, dominating is the colour yellow.
Three illuminated orange lanterns hanging from a wire at night.
Hoi An at Night
When night approaches and the sun disappears behind the horizon, countless lanterns and lanterns light up in Hoi An.
Ornate incense burner in front of a yellow temple gate.
Cẩm Kim
Visiting a boat workshop, a couple that makes sleeping mats and a family run rice noodle factory on Cam Kim Island near Hoi An.
Man standing on An Bang Beach in Vietnam, facing the ocean.
An Bang Beach
Escape from the town to the nearby beach.
Long paved road between irrigation canals lined with green vegetation in Vietnam.
Around Hoi An – Part 1
Making a escape to the land around Hoi An.
Two farmers working in a green Vietnamese field.
Around Hoi An – Part 2
Green fields, rich beetroots, artificial ponds and solitude.

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