The proposal took place on the morning of October 13 at Quang Phu Cau Incense-making Village in Cau Bau Hamlet, Ung Thien Commune, where residents gathered in an open courtyard regularly used to welcome tourists.
Kneeling among the 1,500 bundles arranged into hearts, lettering and the outline of Vietnam, the man presented his girlfriend with an engagement ring, moving onlookers with the romantic gesture.
Images of the proposal quickly attracted attention on social media.
The man kneels to propose to his girlfriend (Photo: Provided by the couple).
Nguyen Dinh Dam, head of the Quang Phu Cau Craft Village Tourism Cooperative and head of Cau Bau Hamlet, told Dantri/Dtinews that the Filipino man had contacted the cooperative about a month earlier to arrange a proposal in a colourful setting.
He had discovered the village through social media and was impressed by the distinctive displays of incense sticks. He asked the cooperative to arrange bundles into a heart, a ring and the words “Will you marry me?”, alongside decorative scenes.
Ten cooperative members spent several days preparing the setting. In addition to the traditional red, they mixed dyes to produce ivory-white and pink incense sticks to meet the customer’s requests, Dam said.
A photography and video crew arrived early on the day of the proposal to capture the occasion. Near midday, the couple arrived by car at Cau Bau hamlet. The man kept the surprise secret by covering his girlfriend’s eyes before leading her into the heart-shaped display.
He then spoke to her affectionately, proposed and slipped the ring onto her finger. Overwhelmed by the moment, the woman could not hold back her emotions.
The woman was overcome with emotion as she listened to her boyfriend's words (Photo: Provided by the couple).
Dam said Quang Phu Cau had previously welcomed international visitors for wedding photography, but this was the first time a couple had staged such an elaborate proposal there.
The cooperative’s members were proud that visitors appreciated the attraction and that images of their hometown were reaching a wider audience, he said. Dam declined to disclose the cost of the arrangement.
Bundles of incense stems prepared for the proposal (Photo: Provided by the couple).
A century-old craft draws international visitors
Quang Phu Cau has a century-long tradition of making incense sticks and incense. Many households continue the craft, while production has also expanded into larger, more modern facilities. Hanoi has officially recognised the village as a tourist attraction.
The Quang Phu Cau Craft Village Tourism Cooperative was established in 2023. Members began arranging incense sticks with their upper ends gathered together and their lower ends spread outward, creating the appearance of flowers in bloom. The images circulated widely, drawing growing numbers of visitors.
The attraction receives about 9,000 visitors a month, around 95 per cent of them international tourists, Dam said.
Bundles of incense sticks arranged for the proposal ceremony (Photo: Provided by the couple).
Incense carries deep spiritual significance in Vietnamese culture, so local producers take care throughout the manufacturing process. After being dyed bright red, the bundles are spread out to dry in their natural shapes, creating vivid displays resembling flowers in bloom.
The red sticks against the sunlight make the village a popular backdrop for photographs. Tourism has helped preserve the traditional craft while contributing to the local economy.
Visitors can currently enter the incense village and take photographs for VND 50,000 (about USD 1.90) per person.