Khanh Hoa is not only known as the land of Agarwood, but also known for Agarwood craft villages, in which, notably digging Agarwood trade village in Phu Hoi 1. This is one of four typical villages newly recognized by Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee in August 2016.
When workers dig the Agarwoood, they must be attentive, careful and skillful in every stage.
Hundreds of years ago, Van Thang commune, Van Ninh district is one of the famous places skilled "tow away" (go to find Agarwood). The ancients went backpacks never cut down Aquilaria Crassna trees that elaborately trimmed places that had Agarwood in the body or root. For young plants, they carefully pricked few holes (open mouth) to create deep wounds to feed Agarwood. Nowadays, many people go to find Aquilaria Crassna, they not only cut trees, but also dig and snatch stumps and roots; not mention to someone uproot young Aquilaria Crassna causing natural Agarwood becoming exhausted. When there is no natural Agarwood, people change to make artificial ones, in addition, available artisan resources in local create digging Agarwood villages (peeled Aquilaria Crassna trees away to take Agarwood cores inside). In particular, the village's main products are Agarwood handicrafts and sub- products are incenses.
Coming to Phu Hoi 1 hamlet, Van Thang commune, everywhere subtle floral fragrance, gentle of frankincense. Guests easily caught the images of dozens of people sitting to poke Agarwood painstakingly in the houses. The tools to poke Agarwood called “Dum” with many different sizes. Big “Dum” used to break body to make incense, small one to trim small hole inside.
Van Thang incense is made of Aquilaria Crassna body.
The main material to create Agarwood is Aquilaria Crassna tree. People said that Aquilaria Crassna tree must be planted 10 years to create Agarwood. To create Agarwood, people used two ways: One is to peel bark, then sweep up drug to create Agarwood; the second way is to drill trunk and pour the medication inside. After about two years, Aquilaria Crassna tree will create Agarwood. Drugs to create Agarwood made from rust, rain - water, salt and some additives to be prepared in accordance with the appropriate dosage. Drugs made Agarwood are very important because it determines the quality of Agarwood more or less.
In order to have beautiful Agarwood tree, workers must do several stages. Aquilaria Crassna pieces are shaped outside peel until Agarwoood appear. The workers used “Dum” to poke until white timber reveal various Agarwood sources. With Agarwood sources curve as spiral, they must meticulously use a small hook to scrape little wood. Workers meticulously bark every fiber core layers to take frankincense.
From a few initial households, up to now, the village has 260 households with 1,300 workers, the average income of 4 million VND/person/month. These years, trade village is developing, attracting large numbers of rural workers to create jobs, increase income for local people.