Vietnam Phu Long Town - Traditional Banh Hoi Craft Village

Phu Long in Binh Thuan is renowned for its century-old traditional craft of making Bánh Hỏi (fine rice vermicelli bundles). Inside the rustic, dimly lit family workshops, artisans work tirelessly in the early morning hours among clouds of rising steam and dramatic rays of sunlight streaming through roof vents.

The process of steaming, pressing, and stacking the delicate woven rice sheets creates an incredible atmosphere for documentary and fine-art portrait photography. The high contrast between the dark background, glowing white steam, and golden sunbeams makes this spot a hidden gem for visual storytellers.

Best Time: Early morning (3:00 AM – 7:00 AM) when the workshops are actively steaming the rice sheets and the early sun begins to penetrate through the roof openings, creating dramatic light rays (god rays).

Best Gear: A fast prime lens (e.g., 35mm, 50mm, or 85mm f/1.4–f/1.8) to shoot in low-light conditions and capture beautiful depth of field. A 24-70mm lens is also versatile for switching between wide environmental shots and detailed portraits.

Settings: Use a faster shutter speed to freeze the motion of rising steam, or experiment with a slightly slower shutter speed to convey fluid movement. Keep your ISO reasonably low to control noise in the dark shadows.

Phu Long Town is located just about 7 km north of Phan Thiet City along National Route 1A. Easily accessible by car, taxi, or motorbike.
You can drive by car or motorbike into the local village lanes and leave your vehicle at designated parking areas or right at the artisan households with their permission.