Promotional events in Hanoi spread the value of craft villages

Promotion events for craft villages will create a strong dissemination force not only for the people of the capital but also for a large number of international friends, said Le Duc Thinh, Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He said the promotion of handicraft products aims to boost the city's socio-economic development as it is on the way of transformation into a handicraft hub for other localities and internationally.

Phu Tuc Craft Village, Phu Xuyen District, is the export center for bamboo weaving products. Photo: Tran Viet/ The Hanoi Times

He emphasized the need to cultivate more young, passionate and creative artisans for craft villages, thus creating new perspectives and thinking in their preservation and development.

Ta Van Tuong, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the permanent agency and coordinator of the promotional events, said that Hanoi has focused events that are highly distinctive and related to various departments and sectors, such as those promoting the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program.

In addition, according to Tuong, craft villages in Hanoi and the whole country cooperate and support each other to promote products nationwide and for export.

"Many handicraft villages in Hanoi, such as bamboo weaving, cooperate with provinces to develop raw material areas. Hanoi-based Bao Minh Company has signed cooperation agreements with 37 rice-growing areas nationwide to link rice cultivation and processing," he said.

As one of the venues for the Vietnam Craft Village Festival, Van Phuc Village (Ha Dong District) is actively preparing to host the Worship and Procession Ceremony of the Ancestor of Craftsmanship and the Van Phuc Tourism - Culture - Trade Craft Village Week in 2023 under the theme "Van Phuc - Colors of Integration," said Nguyen Van Du, Chairman of the Van Phuc Ward People's Committee.

The event will be held from October 29 to November 5 and aims to honor traditional crafts, artisans and craftsmen in the village, promote products and attract visitors.

Leading the country in craft villages and artisans

Hanoi currently has over 800 trading villages and traditional craft villages, the highest number in the country. Photo: Nguyen Hai/ The Hanoi Times

Hanoi leads the country in the number of handicraft villages and artisans. With a long tradition, the city's handicraft villages have made significant contributions to the economic, cultural and social development of the city and the country.
The city's handicraft villages are highly creative, with diverse and unique handicraft products rich in cultural identity, such as Ngu Xa bronze casting, Dinh Cong jewelry, Phu Vinh bamboo weaving, Thach Xa bamboo dragonfly, Chuong conical hats, Ha Thai lacquerware, Chang Son fans, Dao Thuc water puppets, Tay Tuu flowers, Quat Dong embroidery, and many others throughout the country.
Thinh, from the Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development, said that Hanoi is the cultural center and home to the artistic essence of traditional crafts in Vietnam. With a long history of development, Hanoi's craft villages have produced many high-quality economic and cultural products. Many products of Hanoi's craft villages are classified as "national treasures", such as horizontal lacquered boards and couplets preserved as historical relics in Bac Giang and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, he added.

Many handicraft villages in Hanoi have also adapted well to the market economy. Many artisans and craftsmen have set up businesses and invested in modern production lines.

Thinh stressed that many products are not only sold domestically but also exported, such as bamboo woven products, ceramics, lacquerware, and mother-of-pearl inlays.

"With Van Phuc Silk Village, Bat Trang Pottery Village, and Me Tri Young Sticky Rice Village recognized as national trademarks, craft villages have become an important economic sector," he stressed.

According to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the city now has more than 800 craft villages, the highest number in the country.

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The city’s  traditional crafts are also very diverse, with 47 out of 52 crafts in Vietnam practiced in Hanoi. It is also the locality with the highest number of artisans awarded by the State, with hundreds more receiving this honor.