Many artisans in Hanoi have raised concerns about how maintain anddevelop craft villages, which are at risk of being lost from the impactsof the socio-economic development process.
Speaking at a seminar entitled, “Hanoi Craft Villages – Potential forTourism Development” held in Hanoi on August 5, Director of HanoiUniversity’s Tourism Culture Department Duong Van Sau said thatdeveloping tours to craft villages is one way to preserve their culturalvalues as it offers economic and cultural exchange opportunities forthe villages.
He suggested that the Governmentshould have policies to encourage and facilitate sustainable developmentof the villages, give tax preferences for them in exporting theirproducts and speed up tourism promotion activities at the villages.
According to jewellery artisan Le Ba Trung, the material values ofthe craft villages’ products may no longer be suitable to modern lifebut their cultural values will exist forever.
“Therefore, we must preserve crafts and transmit those valuable cultural values to following generations,” he said.
Hanoi (formerly Thang Long) boasts the largest number of craftvillages in the country. According to the municipal Department ofIndustry and Trade, the city now has 1,264 craft villages, attractingnearly 1 million workers.
In 2009, the craftvillages reached a total production value of 7 trillion VND, accountingfor nearly 10 percent of the capital city’s industrial and handicraftproduction value.
However, Hanoi ’s traditionalcraft villages have been losing because young generations are not welltrained, leading to lower quality of the products. In addition, thereare fewer people who want to learn and spend a lifetime with traditionalcrafts.
To maintain their operations, many craftvillages have expanded their production to new fields in order to meetmarket demand.
The Hanoi Craft Week 2010 themed“Thousand Years of Quintessence”, which is taking place from August 4-9,is expected to be a channel that promotes the traditional culturalvalues of craft villages and boosts the export of their products./.
Speaking at a seminar entitled, “Hanoi Craft Villages – Potential forTourism Development” held in Hanoi on August 5, Director of HanoiUniversity’s Tourism Culture Department Duong Van Sau said thatdeveloping tours to craft villages is one way to preserve their culturalvalues as it offers economic and cultural exchange opportunities forthe villages.
He suggested that the Governmentshould have policies to encourage and facilitate sustainable developmentof the villages, give tax preferences for them in exporting theirproducts and speed up tourism promotion activities at the villages.
According to jewellery artisan Le Ba Trung, the material values ofthe craft villages’ products may no longer be suitable to modern lifebut their cultural values will exist forever.
“Therefore, we must preserve crafts and transmit those valuable cultural values to following generations,” he said.
Hanoi (formerly Thang Long) boasts the largest number of craftvillages in the country. According to the municipal Department ofIndustry and Trade, the city now has 1,264 craft villages, attractingnearly 1 million workers.
In 2009, the craftvillages reached a total production value of 7 trillion VND, accountingfor nearly 10 percent of the capital city’s industrial and handicraftproduction value.
However, Hanoi ’s traditionalcraft villages have been losing because young generations are not welltrained, leading to lower quality of the products. In addition, thereare fewer people who want to learn and spend a lifetime with traditionalcrafts.
To maintain their operations, many craftvillages have expanded their production to new fields in order to meetmarket demand.
The Hanoi Craft Week 2010 themed“Thousand Years of Quintessence”, which is taking place from August 4-9,is expected to be a channel that promotes the traditional culturalvalues of craft villages and boosts the export of their products./.
