New features at the Vietnam Craft Villages Festival 2023

According to the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development (DCRD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Vietnam Craft Villages Festival 2023 is organized to preserve, recreate, and promote the character of the nation’s cultural values and form the contemporary culture of Vietnamese craft villages. In particular, craft villages in Hanoi city are taken as the center to spread to other localities.

The Festival's activities will contribute to creating a space for the exchange of experience and knowledge in producing and trading craft products and honoring artisans, skilled workers, and workers in craft villages. At the same time, the Festival will help to promote and introduce traditional craft villages and streets in Hanoi city and the whole country. Thereby, gradually promoting consumption, increasing product value, and developing tourism in craft villages.

Mr. Le Duc Thinh, Director of DCRD, said that the two units will coordinate to organize the Festival from October to November with many activities, including the main event, “Vietnam Craft Villages Festival 2023,” taking place from November 9–12 with three contents (an honor ceremony of artisans and skilled workers; an opening ceremony; and an international fair introducing craft products and OCOP products).

In addition, there are six events in response to the Festival, hosted and coordinated by MARD: Night of art performances of traditional cultural craft villages; international conference on preserving and developing craft villages; Vietnam-San Marino trade connection workshop; Vietnam-Mongolian trade promotion workshop; workshop on building mulberry raw material areas; Vietnamese handicraft product contest 2023

The Hanoi City People's Committee will also host seven events in response to the Festival, including a Van Phuc craft village culture-tourism and trade week with the theme "Van Phuc: Colors of Integration"; an award ceremony for winning Hanoi craft products in 2023; an event to introduce the southern region’s OCOP products; the Hanoi autumn festival; sightseeing and experience activities in craft villages in Hanoi such as Bat Trang, Van Phuc, and Duong Lam, etc.

According to Mr. Thinh, the Festival is organized on the basis of giving prominence to the values and quintessence of traditional professions and craft villages that Vietnamese generations have worked hard to build, preserve, and develop. Besides, the Festival also shows the wish to change thinking in preserving and developing craft villages in the direction of sustainability and gradually integrating with the world.

This Festival has many new and outstanding features. For example, for the first time, a ceremony to honor about 100 artisans and skilled workers from provinces and municipalities is organized, or delegates will participate in activities such as visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, visiting the relics of Uncle Ho's Stilt House, meeting with State leaders, and holding talks with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The festival opening ceremony will be held at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, where the noblest historical and cultural values converge and crystallize (scheduled for the evening of November 9), with about 300 delegates who are leaders of the Party, State, Ministries, branches, Hanoi city, and localities; representatives of some international organizations; and artisans and skilled workers honored and participating in the fair.

In addition, this Festival has the participation of many international delegations and booths. Specifically, among more than 300 booths introducing craft products and OCOP products, there are 20 international booths.

Mr. Ta Van Tuong, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, shared that Hanoi is a locality with the highest number of craft villages, artisans, and skilled workers in the country. Currently, many products from traditional craft villages have been exported to many countries around the world. Besides, Hanoi is the country’s economic, political, and cultural center, so organizing the Festival here will bring a stronger spread, not only to the people in the capital in particular and the country in general but also to many international friends.

With the active support of MARD and the drastic participation of the City People's Committee, localities, and related units, up to now, all preparations for the Festival are being urgently completed, ensuring all events will take place successfully and conveying the great messages that the Festival has set: "talent crystallizes into value" and "helping traditional professions and craft villages spread and integrate".