Son Dong is a wood-carving village in Hoai Duc, on the western edge of Hanoi, that makes Buddhist statues, altars and carved panels for pagodas and family shrines across northern Vietnam. It lies close to the road to Duong Lam and Thay Pagoda.
Workshops carve and lacquer statues in open yards, and a short stop of thirty to forty-five minutes shows the whole process from rough block to gilded figure.
Add a carving stop to your day
Every tour can be tailored; Son Dong fits easily on the way.
★Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourDuong Lam in depth, lunch cooked in an old house, then the pagoda where water puppetry began · About 9 hoursSee the tour →Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourThe laterite lanes, a 400-year-old house and a che lam kitchen, with your own guide · About 5.5 hoursSee the tour →What you see
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Roughing out | The figure is cut from a block of jackfruit or other wood |
| Carving | Faces, hands and robes shaped with chisels |
| Lacquering | Layers of lacquer build the surface |
| Gilding | Gold or silver leaf and paint finish the statue |
After seeing the statues of Mia Pagoda, watching them being made closes the circle.
Visiting
Son Dong is a working village; workshops are busiest in the morning and on weekdays. There is no ticket. Ask before photographing inside a workshop, and remember that statues are sacred objects to the families and pagodas that order them.
It sits on the way to our guide to Thay Pagoda.
Tailor your full day
Ask us to add Son Dong to the Duong Lam and Thay Pagoda day.
Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourAbout 9 hoursSee the tour →Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourAbout 5.5 hoursSee the tour →Questions people ask
Where is Son Dong village?
In Hoai Duc, on Hanoi’s western edge, near the road to Duong Lam.
Is there an entrance fee?
No.
Can I buy a statue?
Workshops take orders; shipping large pieces abroad needs arranging.
A day west of Hanoi, shaped around you
Guide, car, lunch and tickets in one group price, free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day TourDuong Lam in depth, lunch cooked in an old house, then the pagoda where water puppetry began · About 9 hoursfrom$93/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$275BOOK →2 guests$305BOOK →3 guests$340BOOK →4 guests$370BOOK →See the full tour page →Duong Lam Half-Day Private TourThe laterite lanes, a 400-year-old house and a che lam kitchen, with your own guide · About 5.5 hoursfrom$45/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$165BOOK →2 guests$170BOOK →3 guests$175BOOK →4 guests$180BOOK →See the full tour page →Village information checked in September 2026.