The achievements of folk craft villages such as Phu Lang pottery village, Dong Ho painting village, Xuan Lai bamboo and bamboo craft village... or the "breath" of famous places in Bac Ninh such as Dinh Bang communal house, Hien Van ancient village... are cleverly sent by young people to each roof, table corner, and chair in a modern coffee shop. Or even modern dishes and drinks are inspired by the love of the homeland.
The journey to the origin
Founded in 2017, transforming and starting the journey to find roots since 2022, a coffee brand with introductions from Kinh Bac region is now mentioned as one of the outstanding creative symbols of young people in Bac Ninh.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, owner of AN cafe chain, said: "Taking advantage of the Vietnamese people's culture that is already in our DNA, we want to keep the word "love" of Kinh Bac people in our "brainchildren". Therefore, in every small corner, in every personal experience, we are able to express our pride in Kinh Bac land.
That land contains many ancient historical sites, with the resounding feat of Thai Thuong Kiet defeating the Thong invasion army on the Nhu Nguyet river route in 1077. This is also the birthplace of Ly Cong Uan - the first king of the Ly Dynasty.
When mentioning Kinh Bac heritage, it is certain that it is impossible not to mention unique works, harmoniously combining royal architecture with folk architecture such as the famous Phat Tich Pagoda with the green stone statue of A Di Da dating from the Ly Dynasty or the " Four French" pagodas in Dau - Luy Lau region including Dau pagoda, Dau pagoda, Tuong pagoda and Dan pagoda.
Kinh Bac cajuput is the cradle of the folk cajunshan - a unique art form recognized by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is also the place where many big and special festivals such as Lim Festival, mulberry Pagoda Festival, and Ba Chua Kho Temple Festival take place, attracting a large number of visitors.
Mr. Tuan confided: Inspiring from famous traditional landmarks and craft villages in Kinh Bac such as Dinh Bang communal house, Do temple architecture, Hien Van ancient village, Phu Lang pottery village..., the shape and space of our shops are designed to be minimalist but still imbued with folk colors.
Traditional materials and images such as communal house roofs, porchwork, wooden pillars, ceramics, conical hats, Do paper... are stylized to be included in the design, creating a modern but still close feeling. We have gone to traditional craft villages such as Dong Ho, Phu Lang, Tho Ha... with the hope that the decorative products and items of the shop will bring the "breath" of the folk".
In addition, outstanding soups are also given names that evoke culture such as "Quai dep", "Moi tra", "Mo cua"... In which, the elephant pear of the tea is made from the quintessence of the tea sticky rice cake, a famous gift of Dinh Bang village.
In coffee shops in the system, sharing and practice sessions about Dong Ho paintings, pottery making or small exchange singing sessions are often focused on. Typically, the content about Dong Ho painting village was held in the second half of 2024 with 6 experiences. This activity has become a monthly event and is gradually being welcomed by the younger generation, expanding from Bac Ninh to the capital Hanoi.
Kinh Bac Cultural imprint
For Tran Van Duy, the young owner of the Where We Are Coffee shop, the house that has been associated with him since childhood until adulthood has a very special location - right next to the ancient communal house roof of Dinh Bang village. This communal house was built in the late Le Dynasty, taking 36 years to complete in 1736.
Dinh Bang village communal house consists of a massive main communal house connected to the rear palace in the shape of a cube, also known as the Dinh style. The unique features of the communal house are reflected in the space of the communal house roof, the massive features of the blades, the formula for adapting to the monsoon climate and decorating with dense sculptures.
Dinh Bang communal house is one of the communal houses with the most beautiful architecture that still exists today. Because it has been said since ancient times: "First is Dong Khang communal house/second is Bang communal house, the glory of Diem communal house".
However, over time, only Bang communal house has maintained its complete architecture. The ancient communal house nearly 300 years old has been ranked as a special national monument.
Having been attached to this place since childhood, despite having worked far away, Duy decided to return to a familiar place with the desire: To start his dream right in his homeland.
The young man expressed: "The imprint of Kinh Bac culture was put into the space Where We Are as an expression of my love for my homeland. For example, on the first floor, a lamp made from foil - a famous material of Dong Ho painting village - stands out and is shaped like a meaningful connection to the communal house right next to it.
"What I want to convey is not only a delicious glass of water but also cultural slices. I believe that integrating traditional elements in a modern space will be an easy way to touch the emotions and interest of the younger generation, so that they can love and understand Kinh Bac culture more naturally, Duy added.
The pace of life is getting more and more modern, but that does not mean that folk culture is lost in the hearts of young people. Somewhere there are still Gen Z who silently nurture that love to develop and transform according to the times. Therefore, the AN cafe or Noi ta store chain is like a prominent highlight on a song containing the hope of life.
