Daily Trips

Imagine a quiet coastal fishing village, completely transformed by artists, who have worked their magic on the sides of 100 actual residential homes. This is the remarkable story of the Tam Thanh Mural Village in Quang Nam Province. Once similar to many other coastal villages in the area, it is now firmly making its mark on the tourist map for day trips of Hoi An.

In the summer of 2016, Tam Thanh was selected by a Korean-Vietnamese joint project called “Art For A Better Community.” The village was chosen to be their blank canvas. Inspired by the success of mural villages in Korea. The project set out to make Tam Thanh the first painted village of its kind in Vietnam.

The project was a success, and the village has been brought to life by the paintings. The entire town now a breathtaking walk-through gallery just waiting to be explored. The murals that adorn it capture the life and soul of the village, from young children playing, to fishermen in the ocean. Mixed in are a good number of fantasy pieces offering great backdrops for photos.

Hidden gives you the background to the creation of the magnificent Tam Thanh mural village. Providing the best ways to get there, and a couple of options if you find that you have extra time in the area.

Walking through the single street of the Tam Thanh mural village, it’s not uncommon to find locals selling refreshments and handmade goods. At one particular house, a tailor and his family are painted in incredible detail on the exterior wall. The family has started selling tote bags here, decorated by their young daughter.
Since the completion of the mural project in Tam Thanh village, two other villages in the province have now been painted. The new mural villages were created with different artists this time. They draw on local Vietnamese talent to raise social awareness of issues in each community. Tam Hai Island was redecorated to bring to light the serious issue they face with their trash. Mainly due to a lack of garbage treatment plants in the area. Another village at An Binh Island was painted to raise awareness among locals and tourists of the importance of environmental protection.