The working atmosphere at Viet Porcelain Joint Stock Company is booming these days. The company based in Bat Trang pottery village in Hanoi is making SEA Games merchandise printed with Sao La - the mascot and logo of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).

A Hanoi facility of Viet Porcelain Joint Stock Company. Photos: kinhtedothi.vn

Vu Van Duc, Director of Viet Porcelain, said that it is a great joy for his businesses to be commissioned to make souvenirs for the Games. 

The SEA Games merchandise ordered from the company includes plates, vases, and jars, the products which are very popular with visitors to Bat Trang craft village, Hanoi’s Gia Lam District. All are associated with images of Sao La - the mascot and logo of SEA Games 31. 

Currently, the best-selling items are cups, flower pots, and ceramic vases for SEA Games 31.

Holding in his hand a ceramic plate with the image of the Saola holding the archery bow, Tran Duc Tan, Director of Tan Thinh Ceramics Cooperative, Gia Lam District, proudly said that his business is making souvenir plates for the SEA Games archery delegations. 

“It is the joy and honor of the cooperative to take part in the biggest sports festival in this region,” he told The Hanoi Times.

Involving in making high-quality earthenware for years, Tan Thinh Ceramics Cooperative often wins contracts to supply Hanoi's specialties to central and city agencies at international events.

He added that they make the souvenirs not only for the sake of the business but also to promote the city’s specialties among international visitors.

Tran Duc Tan, Director of Tan Thinh Ceramics Cooperative, is holding one of the SEA Games gifts.

During the SEA Games 31, Gia Lam District’s authorities will also organize tourism promotion activities and introduce unique local products ranked by the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program to international friends. 

A large batch of cups printed with the mascot and logo of SEA Games 31 are ordered from Bat Trang craft village to gift delegates and athletes competing at the Gia Lam Gymnasium.

In Nam Tu Liem District, some households from Me Tri village, known for its tradition of producing green sticky rice (Com), introduced their specialty to foreign guests at the Hanoi Great Souvenir fair, held at the square of My Dinh National Stadium, the place for the opening ceremony of the sports festival.

Nguyen The Do, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Me Tri Ward, said that all exhibitors employ English proficient staff ​​to present their products. “We want to introduce the process of making green rice and the taste of our products to the visitors. Hopefully, they would remember the taste of Com. We will also work with travel agencies to organize tours to experience Com making in Me Tri,” he emphasized.

“This is an opportunity to promote the brand of our specialty,” Do told The Hanoi Times.

A local consumer is buying Com at the Hanoi Great Souvenir fair.

At No. 123 Trung Van, Nam Tu Liem District, in an area of ​​more than 450 sq.m, Kym Viet, the Vietnamese social enterprise for people with disabilities, the stuffed factory is rushing to complete thousands of orders of stuffed Sao La, which is licensed by the Organizing Committee of the SEA Games 31. 

Through the work, the company’s Co-founder Pham Viet Hoai, and his workers with disabilities want to contribute to disseminating the sportsmanship by enhancing the bond between Vietnamese people and international friends, as well as spreading the word about the regional sports festival to many people and visitors to Hanoi.

Hoai told The Hanoi Times that his business was involved in the design of gifts from the beginning of 2022 to respond to the largest sports event in the region. 

“We also wish to convey the message of protecting nature as well as show the sportsmanship and peace-loving spirit of the Vietnamese people,” he underlined.

Local consumers are holding Sao La mascot gifts. Photo: seagames2021.com

Currently, Kym Viet has produced more than 700 samples of Sao La mascot gifts. Previously, at the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival 2022 organized by the Hanoi Department of Tourism, this gift sample was also on display and widely introduced.

According to the Organizing Board for the SEA Games, a total of 60,000 stuffed animals of Sao La have been produced as gifts for domestic and foreign fans as well as game medal winners. 

These gifts represent Hanoians’ hospitality and promote the image of the capital as a friendly, safe, and attractive destination for international friends.