What's at the 'Divine Sword Forging Village' that's causing a stir in Ha Long?

ANTD.VN - Inspired by the brave Samurai warriors and the legendary Katana sword, the "Sword Forging Village" at Sun World Ha Long is the hottest experience this summer when visiting the heritage city of Ha Long.

“Sword Forging Village” is a space to experience Japanese sword culture located in the Japanese cultural and artistic area, in the basement of Sun Station of Sun World Ha Long. Launched at the peak of summer, the new tourism product of Sun World Ha Long immediately attracted the attention of tourists who are passionate about Japanese culture, especially Japanese sword culture.

The journey to discover Japanese sword culture at the “Swordsmith Village” is like a pilgrimage back in time, back to the Edo period (1603-1868) of Bizen Osafune - the largest sword production center in Japan. The swords forged in this village are famous for their sharpness and special artistic beauty, often chosen by Samurai, the elite warrior class of feudal Japan, and gradually became a symbol of honor and courage.

The village is the inspiration for Sun World Ha Long to choose, creating a unique space where visitors have the opportunity to learn and experience vividly the unique culture of Japan. To bring visitors the most authentic experience, the resort uses materials taken from traditional Japanese villages to create wooden houses, stone-paved roads or sophisticated paper lanterns,...

On an area of ​​3,000m2, the Sword Forging Village is divided into 6 areas, for visitors to learn about ancient swords - an indispensable item for ancient Samurai warriors, through performances and displays of the crafting process; listen to artisans share about the durability and meticulousness in every small detail to create a beautiful sword, through the stages of sword making, from grinding, carving accessories, making wooden sheaths to wrapping and soul for the sword handle. In particular, here visitors will also be transformed into real samurai warriors.

The most prominent area is probably the sword making art demonstration area, with 7 houses corresponding to 7 making processes. In each house, there are artisans trained in Japan directly performing the art of sword making for visitors to enjoy.

The sword forging area is the first destination on the journey, where visitors can see with their own eyes the sword forging tools, the steel blades created from the process of tempering steel in a forge at high temperature and shaping the blades by artisans.

The sword sharpening counter, where the sword is sharpened by the artisan using 12 types of whetstones. This process, called "togi", requires precision and special skill from the sword maker.

The next stage is the blade carving. This intricate and artistic process involves designing and carving patterns such as animals, gods or mythical creatures from Japanese folklore onto the surface of the blade, giving each sword its own unique character and individuality.

At the scabbard-making booth, visitors will be able to observe artisans crafting scabbards and hilts from light and durable woods such as Japanese magnolia (ho wood) or Japanese cherry wood, along with scabbard materials and traditional chisels and planes.

After the scabbard is shaped, the artisans at the lacquer booth will carefully work to create vivid patterns and colors. Lacquer not only enhances the aesthetics but also protects the material of the scabbard. Last but not least is the hilt. The artisan will use a wire to tightly wrap the hilt on the hilt blank to reduce pressure on the wrist when performing operations with the sword. The final wire must be smooth and free of gaps or wrinkles to meet the standard.

After satisfying the visual senses through 6 sword-making processes, visitors, under the guidance of well-trained swordsmen, can visit the Bushido Arena with 18 fenced-off windows, to transform into a real Samurai, with the skills of using a sword to cut bamboo or mat.

Besides Japanese swords, visitors can also experience the art of Origami and admire the beautiful collection of traditional Japanese daruma dolls.

One of the highlights of the “Sword Forging Village” is the Sword Shrine – where 9 ancient swords are displayed, crafted by the most famous Japanese artisans over many periods, along with immortal legends. Especially, there is the appearance of the Shangfang Baojian of the Tokugawa Iemochi Shogun – the 19th century Japanese feudal lord, valued at millions of dollars on the international auction market.

“ Until now, I have only heard and seen this precious sword through pictures. This is the first time I have seen with my own eyes such a sophisticated and culturally meaningful sword. Providing a space to experience Japanese sword culture is a really good and attractive idea for tourists who love Japanese culture like me ,” said Mr. Hoai Anh, a tourist from Bac Ninh .

At the end of the journey, visitors can visit the unique Light Sculpture exhibition with suggestive works made from materials familiar to Japanese culture. Vivid images of ancient Japan with Buddha, warriors, young girls, babies... through the art of arranging materials and light have created truly impressive works, conveying many meaningful messages, bringing many emotions to visitors.

To fully enjoy the essence of Japanese culture, Sun World Ha Long is launching an attractive promotion for the experience of crossing the heritage bay, admiring the panoramic view of Ha Long from above with the Queen cable car, combining the discovery of Japanese culture at the "Sword Forging Village" and Yosakoi performances or the show Love Story of the Land of Cherry Blossoms taking place at two time slots 11am and 3:30pm every day (except Wednesday) at Sun Hill. The special combo currently applied is priced at 500,000 VND/adult, 330,000 VND/child.

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