Kim Bong carpentry village is a traditional carpentry village located around 5 km southwest of Hoi An downtown, in the Thu Bon river in Cam Kim commune, Quang Nam province. Its name comes from the Vietnamese words kim (golden) and bong (floating), which describes jackfruit timbers that is bright yellow in color and oftentimes float on the Thu Bon River during flood seasons.

  The traditional woodworking goods produced in the village made Kim Bong popular, drawing plenty of tourists yearly. Most visitors to Hoi An include a trip to the village in their travel plans, and always leaving grateful with the unique experience and impressive craftsmanship seen.

Kim Bong Village: In the Past   Since the 16th century, Kim Bong is already renowned for their fine carpentry and woodworking. In fact, early rulers themselves have appreciated the unique craftsmanship of the villagers here that they prefer Kim Bong artisans to work on their palaces and tombs.

  The Vietnam War decimated the village's finest craftsmen, putting the woodworking culture in the brink of extinction. Over time, villagers, along with concerned groups co-founded by UNESCO, worked together to restore the tradition through training courses and economic opportunities related to the trade.   After many years, Kim Bong village has developed vigorously and formed 3 groups of artisans: ancient architectural construction, civil wooden furniture and shipbuilding. Whichever the group they are in, Kim Bong's craftsmen still keep their traditional manner of starting out as apprentices and earning the rank of master through years of hard work.

    Wowing Tourists Today   As the technique of Kim Bong carpenters is exceptional while at the same time keeping their tradition in their craftsmanship, their finished products have become an attraction, drawing lots of tourists to the village. There is no entrance fee to the village, where everyone is free to take a bicycle ride or walk around and explore the shops. Most tourists look around and admire the woodwork, take pictures, shop for fine woodwork to take home and even Sign up for quick learning courses form the artisans themselves.

    Kim Bong's more common-place products include traditional boats, furniture, religious statues, and finely crafted wooden doors. The village's craftsmen bring with them woodworking skills inherited from their Northern Vietnamese forebears, including a willingness to go above and beyond the call of art - their statuary seems somehow more alive than similar work made elsewhere.

  A trip to this unique village is a common itinerary in many of today’s visitors to Hoi An which is carried out by either hiring boat rides from Bach Dang Street in Hanoi's old town or as part of a package tour that stops by the My Son Holy Land.