Bắc Ninh
Bac Ninh seeks to preserve traditional crafts through product innovation
BAC NINH - Bac Ninh is seeking to preserve its traditional craft villages while improving products and expanding markets, as the northern Vietnamese province works to address infrastructure, environmental and market constraints.
Known for its traditional crafts, Bac Ninh has 87 craft and traditional craft villages and seven traditional crafts. They include Dong Ho folk paintings, Dong Ky woodcraft, Phu Lang pottery, Xuan Lai bamboo and rattan products, Thu Duong noodles, Van Village liquor and Da Mai rice noodles.
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Officials from the Division of Cooperative Economy and Rural Development visit a production model at the Ngoc Quyet Bamboo and Rattan Weaving Cooperative in Tan Chi commune. |
The province has officially recognised 27 of its 87 craft and traditional craft villages, as well as all seven traditional crafts. The remaining 60 villages have yet to receive official recognition.
Craft production is concentrated in three main areas: processing and preserving agricultural, forestry and aquatic products; making handicrafts, wood products, bamboo and rattan goods and ceramics; and producing and trading ornamental plants and animals.
In Xuan Hoi hamlet in Tan Chi commune, 84% of 745 households are engaged in bamboo and rattan weaving, providing jobs for more than 900 people, most of them older workers.
Many products have received One Commune One Product (OCOP) certification and are purchased by businesses for export.
At the Thu Duong Chu noodle craft village in Nam Duong commune, producers operate year-round and are diversifying their products.
Alongside traditional noodles, households and cooperatives have introduced wide rice noodles for pho, brown rice noodles and vegetable noodles, while upgrading packaging and quality. Some products are sold in domestic and overseas markets.
Luu Van Khai, head of the Division of Cooperative Economy and Rural Development under the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said traditional craft villages help preserve local cultural values while contributing to rural economic development.
Craft villages involved in processing and preserving agricultural, forestry and aquatic products employ about 2,800 workers, with average monthly incomes of 7.5 million-8.8 million VND (over 286,000 – 336,000 USD). Their revenue reached about 536 billion VND in 2025, up more than 31% from 2020.
Many products have intellectual property protection or OCOP certification of three stars or higher, helping raise the value of local agricultural products and improve their competitiveness.
Dong Ho folk paintings, Dong Ky woodcraft and Phu Lang pottery have also gained recognition beyond the province and become associated with the cultural heritage of the Kinh Bac region.
Craft producers and cooperatives are investing in technology, improving product quality, building brands and using new sales channels to adapt to changing market conditions.
The Da Mai Rice Noodle Production Cooperative in Da Mai ward has invested in a 60-cubic-metre biogas system and a 120-cubic-metre three-stage filtration tank to treat wastewater.
It has also introduced an automated production line capable of producing about four tonnes of finished noodles a day.
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Workers produce rice noodles at the Thang Thuy Rice Noodle Production Cooperative in Da Mai ward. |
Woodcraft businesses have shifted towards furniture for apartment buildings and expanded sales through e-commerce platforms. Some have also moved from traditional products such as tables, chairs, cabinets and shelves to spiritual and decorative items for export.
Bui Quang Phat, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said Bac Ninh would prioritise infrastructure and environmental improvements in craft villages during 2026-2030.
The province plans to develop product display and promotion centres, craft-village tourism linked to cultural experiences, trade promotion and brand-building programmes, while expanding markets for local products.
It will also continue to recognise eligible craft villages, revive traditional crafts at risk of disappearing, promote the use of science and technology, expand OCOP products and e-commerce, and recognise skilled artisans who can pass their expertise to younger generations.
The province will support vocational training and the transfer of traditional skills to young workers, while encouraging artisans and producers to develop new products based on traditional values.
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