Regarding the cultural depth of traditional craft villages.

(Baonghean)Traditional craft villages and crafts play a particularly important role in rural areas. In recent years, our province has developed many craft villages, creating jobs for tens of thousands of workers. However, preserving these craft villages remains a major concern…

Traditional craft villages function as production centers, similar to factories in that they have processes, technology, procedures, and management. The only difference lies in the less tightly-knit organizational structure. For a craft village to survive, it must sell its products well and meet the stringent demands of the market. While factories produce "what they have," craft villages produce "what people need." Therefore, it is even more crucial to refine, preserve, and diversify their skills, especially for craft villages that are doing business with international partners. Looking back at many craft villages in our province, there are still few truly "high-quality" craft villages; while there are many, their brands lack a strong brand identity.

To date, Nghe An has 119 recognized craft villages, including 43 rattan and bamboo weaving villages, 19 agricultural and food processing villages, 10 villages specializing in sedge mats, brooms, and dó paper, 14 villages specializing in civil and fine art carpentry, 10 villages specializing in seafood processing, 7 villages specializing in silkworm farming and yarn making, 9 villages specializing in incense splitting, 1 village producing bricks and tiles, 1 village specializing in mechanics, and 5 villages specializing in ornamental plant cultivation. Based on these names, it's clear that craft villages in Nghe An are known primarily for their specific trades rather than for their established brands or names. Except for a few well-known rattan and bamboo weaving villages like Nghi Phong and Nghi Thai, the tile-making villages of Cua, the incense-making villages of Quy Chau, and the soy sauce villages of Nam Dan, tourists and many Nghe An residents are largely unaware of craft villages in their districts or cities. This is primarily due to local factors; people in the craft villages don't know how to promote the name of their craft village, and they seem to not value its name.

Regarding the Huynh Duong noodle and rice cake village in Dien Quang, where 248 households produce noodles and rice cakes, neither the village secretary nor the village head could answer why the village is called Huynh Duong. The Phu Loi fish sauce processing village in Quynh Di produces 2 million liters of fish sauce annually, but people only know Quynh Di and not much about Phu Loi. Few people know the location of the Hong Yen and Truong Tien rice paper making villages, yet these two villages provide stable year-round employment for over 400 households in Dien Ngoc, Dien Chau. And the "Do Luong rice paper" brand is still remembered more.

Craftspeople need their craft more than they need a job; they dedicate their lives to it. I know that in Hanoi, Hang Bac Street is home to artisans who primarily make jewelry by hand. Sometimes, they spend several days crafting a single silver ring, even though it costs less than 100,000 dong. Maintaining integrity, passing on skills, and dedicating one's life to the craft are characteristics of many traditional craft villages. There, it's not just about economics and profit, but also about cultural identity. This is a rarity in Nghe An, where the products of many craft villages are mass-produced, standardized, and focused on functionality rather than cultural value. Most of the craft villages in Nghe An that survive and thrive are those that produce products that meet customer needs in terms of functionality: roof tiles, rice cakes, rice crackers, brooms, fish sauce, sedge mats, etc. However, the depth of culture, aesthetics, sophistication, and artistic talent are still lacking in Nghe An's craft villages.

Therefore, when faced with difficulties, setbacks, or losses, traditional craft villages quickly decline and disappear. This is also why some recognized craft villages have lost their vitality, such as the sedge mat weaving craft in Vinh and some rattan and bamboo weaving villages in the province. Meanwhile, in many mountainous districts, many villages and hamlets, even without established craft villages, have a persistent vitality of their crafts. This is because crafts are not just professions, but also represent national identity, customs, and traditions, such as villages specializing in brocade weaving, knife forging, and rattan tray weaving.

Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that craft villages in our province have, over the past decade, shared the hardships and joys of the farmers, sharing their joys and sorrows. But is the "One village, one craft, one product" model truly necessary, and is it currently feasible? Craft villages cannot be just a movement; they need to be cherished, nurtured, and built upon love for the village and the craft, so that their values ​​can flourish beyond mere material gains.

Chau Lan