More funding to develop Hanoi’s craft villages

Hanoi will provide VND 3.6 trillion (US$189 million) to preserve and develop craft villages from 2010-2015 to preserve traditional crafts, develop tourism, and build new craft villages while ensuring the environment is protected.

The city will prioritise 25 traditional villages that are under threat and need to be restored and preserved. They include Dong My lacquer village, Dai Ang conical hat village, Nghia Do “sac” paper village, Van Canh “do” paper village and Ngu Xa copper casting village.

The project will help develop tourism at craft villages, assist family households in maintaining their production for tourism purposes, provide finances for vocational training and encourage the production of high quality handicrafts.

The city is also developing new craft villages to help generate jobs and increase incomes for local residents.

To attract investment to preserve craft villages, Hanoi will grant 3-5 year soft loans to businesses to help them promote their trade marks and craft villages in the city.

Setting up and developing craft sales in domestic and foreign markets focusing on linking up with supermarkets and trade centres, and assisting craft villages to boost exports will be also be diccussed.

The city will encourage craft businesses to move to industrial complexes and help businesses upgrade their equipment to cut down on environmental pollution.

At present, Hanoi has almost 1,350 craft villages (59% of the country’s total) that provide jobs for over 626,000 people, with an annual average income of VND 13.1 million per person.

In 2009, Hanoi’s craft villages earned VND 7.65 trillion (US$402 million), equal to 8.4% of the city’s industrial production value.

According to the Hanoi Centre for Industrial Promotion and Consultancy, the assistance to help traditional craft villages in Hanoi has encountered many problems despite the city’s efforts to help them.

A festival “Thang Long-Hanoi Craft Villages and Streets” will be held in Hanoi between September 16-21 to promote Hanoi’s craft villages. (VNA)

Tags: Vietnam Handicraft