The Story Behind “The Whole Village of Phu Thuong Buying Million-Dollar Cars to Sell Sticky Rice”
Phu Thuong Village, located in Tay Ho District, Hanoi, has long been renowned for its delicious and fragrant sticky rice, beloved by many. However, in recent times, this traditional craft village has attracted even more attention, not because of its mouthwatering rice, but rather because of the story about the whole village buying million-dollar cars just from selling sticky rice.
An Unlikely Tale
The continuous posts about this story have left many people both amused and skeptical. Intrigued, we ventured to Phu Thuong Village to find out the truth.
A Village of Trades
Phu Thuong Village is home to 600 households, with nearly 90% engaged in traditional crafts, as well as farming and other professions. The village’s main road is like a fishbone, with small alleys leading to each household. Arriving in Phu Thuong Village around 3 pm, one can smell the distinct aroma of sticky rice wafting through each alley, as this is the time when the residents begin their first batch of rice.
Cong Minh Cuong (34 years old), who was born and raised in a family with a tradition of making sticky rice, shares, “My family has been in this business for 40 years. I have to wake up at 2 am to start selling, and by around 10 am, I’m back. After selling, I continue the work of cooking rice, keeping busy until 7 or 8 pm.”
The Means of Transportation
At around 2 am the next day, families begin their second batch of rice, then load it onto various means of transportation for sale. Bicycles, motorcycles, and even cars are used to transport the rice. And it is this sight that has led to rumors of the village getting rich from selling sticky rice.
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loan, the head of the village’s sticky rice craft association, clarifies, “The cars they have cost around 200 to 300 million VND, not new cars. If the association had 400 members, only around 100 of them would own cars.”
Hanh, a resident of Phu Thuong Village, further reveals another reason why many families in the village enjoy a relatively prosperous life. “Some families recently received large sums of money from selling land, so they bought cars or built houses. These are the two biggest things in people’s lives, and they can afford to maintain their sticky rice profession.”
The Price of Success
Instead of the rumors of wealth from selling sticky rice that circulate on social media, the people of Phu Thuong Village jokingly refer to their village as “the village of back pain.” Making high-quality rice in large quantities every day is no easy task.
“Each batch of rice weighs around 20-30kg, and delivering it from here to Hoan Kiem or further can be back-breaking. I’ve had to wear a back brace for 20 years because of the strain, otherwise, my back would hurt a lot due to degenerative disc disease and knee problems,” shares Truong Thi Lien (58 years old).
Regularly carrying dozens of kilograms of glutinous rice, going through multiple cooking stages, and transporting it to sell in the inner city in the morning is not an easy feat and takes a toll on the health of those in the profession.
The Pride of Phu Thuong
Despite the hardships, the artisans in Phu Thuong Village hope that their craft will be recognized for what it truly is. They trade drops of sweat for the satisfaction of their customers, leaving an unforgettable taste. Anyone who has tasted the fragrant and sticky rice from this village will never forget it.
So, the story of the entire village of Phu Thuong buying million-dollar cars just from selling sticky rice might be just that – a story. The reality is that these hardworking people deserve our admiration for their dedication to their craft.
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