Ha Noi to restore craft villages as extinction threatens

Ha Noi will restore 21 of its craft villages which are at risk of being lost from the impacts of socio-economic development, according to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

From now until 2020, the capital will preserve and restore 10 craft villages including Dong My (lacquerwear), Van Canh (poonah paper), Phu Son (pottery), Ngu Xa (bronze casting), and La Khe (silk weaving).

Eleven other craft villages will be restored in the following years.

Ha Noi boasts the largest number of craft villages in the country. According to the department, the city now has 1,264 craft villages, attracting nearly 1 million workers.

However, Ha Noi’s traditional craft villages have been declining because the younger generations are not well-trained, leading to lower quality of products. In addition, there are fewer people who want to learn and spend a lifetime in traditional crafts.

To maintain their operations, many of the villages have expanded their production to new fields to meet market demand.