The opening ceremony of the Van Phuc Cultural Tourism and Trade Week 2023  took place on October 26 at Van Phuc Silk Village, Ha Dong District.

This is the second time the event has been organized to promote traditional trades and attract tourists.

Delegates attend the opening ceremony of the festival. Photo: The Hanoi Times

The program with the theme "Van Phuc - Colors of Integration" is part of the activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of Van Phuc District and the recognition of the Van Phuc silk trade as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The seven-day event includes various programs: a ceremony to honor the artisans with the theme "Roots of Craft Village Culture", the presentation of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Certificate to Van Phuc Craft Village, an exhibition and promotion fair of traditional handicrafts from Hanoi's trade villages, a photo contest and exhibition about Van Phuc, a competition for outstanding creative design products, and an Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) performance with the theme "Graceful Silk of Ha Dong".

Visitors can enjoy heritage conservation activities and cultural performances such as ca tru (a traditional Vietnamese music genre), water puppetry, calligraphy writing, folk games and cuisine.

Pham Van Chien, Vice Chairman of the Ha Dong District People's Committee, stated that, with this event, the district aims to introduce domestic and international visitors to the unique cultural characteristics of the traditional Van Phuc silk weaving village and promote the image of Ha Dong land and people, attractive tourist destinations, traditional festivals, intangible cultural heritage, handicraft villages and culinary products.

This event is also part of the series of activities of the Vietnam Craft Village Festival 2023, jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Hanoi People's Committee.

The festival activities are expected to preserve and promote the values of the traditional cultural identity of Vietnamese ethnic groups, shape the contemporary cultural characteristics of Vietnamese craft villages, focus on those in Hanoi, and spread them to other localities.