Representatives from Hanoi and other provinces will join the OCOP Vietnam Craft Villages and Products Fair and the 2022 Vietnam Handicraft Product Contest, which will honor local craft villages and promote the consumption of specialties and OCOP commodities rated three stars or higher.

An overview of the press conference. Photo: dangcongsan.vn

The two events will take place on November 2-6 at the Economic Transaction and Commercial Area, 489 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi.

Speaking at the press conference on October 25 in Hanoi, Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Center for Agriculture Nguyen Minh Tien said the fair and the contest are part of the 2022 Vietnam Craft Village Festival, which is hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Since its founding 17 years ago, the fair has been a bridge between production and consumption. It has improved the domestic market's image and competitiveness of agricultural and handicraft products.

The 18th OCOP Vietnam Craft Villages and Products Fair is expected to feature 150 booths introducing handicraft products, agro-forestry, and fishery and organic items with specialties such as Nha Xa silk (Hanoi's Thanh Tri District), Bo Bat pottery (Ninh Binh Province), hand-painted ceramics (Bac Giang Province) and agarwood products (Quang Nam Province), and others.

Visitors can also experience cultural activities from Vietnam's six regions at the fair.

Within the framework of the event, many activities will be held on November 3, including a seminar on building handicraft and OCOP products, craft villages, and another on consulting on packaging designs for OCOP and handicraft village items according to market needs.

The awarding ceremony for the 2022 Vietnam Handicraft Product Contest will take place on November 2 to encourage and promote the creative ideas of Vietnamese artisans, craftsmen, and designers of handicrafts, as well as create an environment for skilled artisans and workers to exchange experiences.

Honoring Hanoi’s craft villages and traditional artisans

As Hanoi is home to the most significant number of craft villages and artisans, the city has also honored and showcased the image, culture, and people of Hanoi and the traditions of Vietnamese craft villages to the international community.

On October 20, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade gave 90 awards to the best designs of craft products under the Hanoi Craft Design Contest 2022.

With the theme "Collection of quintessence from the craft villages of the capital city," the designs are created by the hands of skillful artisans. New materials were introduced into a balanced mixture to make the uniqueness and elegance of each output.

In addition to the traditional process, using sciences and technologies in craft-making brings modernity and artistry into the designs. Craft producers are also encouraged to approach and adopt clean production methods to produce environmentally-friendly handicrafts, reduce environmental pollution, and meet sustainable development standards.

The contest, launched in April, aims to encourage individuals and organizations in the city to creatively bring their designs to life to diversify the list of craft products for the city.

The winning designs were exhibited at the Hanoi Gift Fair 2022, a large-scale export-oriented event in the Asia-Pacific region. It attracted the attention of domestic enterprises, importers, and international customers from more than 30 countries with typical handicraft products.