Dozens of craft villages across the country will showcase their products at the 2023 Festival for Vietnamese Craft Village Preservation and Development.

The four-day event will be kicked off tonight (Nov 9) at the vast grounds of the Thăng Long former royal citadel in Hà Nội, presenting 300 booths displaying traditional creations of the craft villages. The products include Bát Tràng ceramic, Mỹ Đức silk, Phú Vinh bamboo and rattan, Hạ Thái lacquer, Chuôn Ngọ mother-of-pearl inlaid, Chu Đậu pottery and many more.

Alongside handicraft products, the event also introduces high-quality OCOP (One Commune One Product) agricultural specialties such as Điện Biên rice, Tú Lệ sticky rice and Vị Thủy organic rice.

According to the organiser, the Centre for Agricultural Trading Promotion under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the festival has been divided into different zones, aiming to honour creativity and craftsmanship.

There is an area dedicated to craft villages in Hà Nội, alongside a zone devoted to international handicraft products that were designed to present the cultural characteristics of those countries.

Visitors can learn about the traditional trades of 25 villages across the country that have been recognised as ‘National Intangible Cultural Heritage’ through a space dedicated to these villages.

During the festival, artisans and craftsmen from these villages will also demonstrate how they create delicate embroidery pieces, weave silk, make conical hats, pottery objects or copper bas-relief.

According to director of the Centre for Agricultural Trading Promotion, Nguyễn Minh Tiến, the festival is to preserve and promote the identity of the nation's traditional cultural values.

“The event not only offers opportunities for craft villages to exchange experiences and learn from each other, but also to honour artisans and skilled craftsmen,” he said.

Aiming to further promote the craft jobs and craft villages across the nation, the festival will also boost consumption, improving handicraft product value and developing tourism in craft villages, he added. — VNS