Cao Thon Musk Incense Trade Village

Musk incense making job is a hundred year-old traditional job in Cao Thon, Bao Khe commune, Hung Yen city. In the past, there were several villages specializing in making incense. However, currently, there are  only two areas maintaining this traditional job such as: Ha village in Trai Trang commune, Yen My district making black incense but its scale is small due to market shortage; and Cao village in Bao Khe commune, Hung Yen city making musk incense.

          Cao Thon musk incense has been famous and preferred for a long time and exported to some neighbouring countries by wholesalers. Incense production technology is simple; the equipment can be made or purchased at a low cost; materials are vegetation products; capitals for production are not high; yet not everyone is suitable for this profession. Some households operating prosperously opened incense shops in the big cities and gained achievements including Quang Thai, Van Hoa, and Hoang Phat (Hanoi), Dong Phat (Ha Dong), Hong Phuc (Hue), Dong An Xuong (Sai Gon) and Dong An My (Hai Duong). Currently, in Cao village, there are about 300 labourers making the incense; the production output is approximately 10 million bunches; the turnover is about VND 2.5 – 3 billion per year. Incense production in Cao village is mostly at household level; the average income per labourer is approximate VND 350,000 – 400,000 per month. The traditional incense job in Cao village is potential to maintain and develop.