In narrow lanes across Dai Bai village in Gia Binh district, the steady hum of polishing machines, metal grinders and chisels carving intricate patterns signals a race against time to meet year-end orders.

Artistic bronze flowers are popular with customers.

Local producers say demand for bronze worship items, decorative products and gifts typically surges by 20% to 30% in the weeks leading up to Tet holiday, Vietnam’s most important annual festival.

Dai Bai, widely regarded as the cradle of bronze casting in northern Vietnam, has a history spanning more than 1,000 years. Of the village’s 2,169 households, nearly half are engaged in traditional bronze casting or related services, making the craft a major source of local income.

However, production has been disrupted by tighter environmental regulations. To keep businesses running and ensure sufficient supply for the Tet holiday, Dai Bai producers have adapted by restructuring their production chains.

Many workshops now focus on finishing processes such as hammering, engraving, polishing and inlaying while outsourcing raw casting to licensed facilities in other provinces.

“Previously, the weeks before Lunar New Year were when our furnaces ran at full capacity,” said Nguyen Tan Hung, director of Hung Thinh Co. Ltd. “Now, in compliance with provincial environmental regulations, local furnaces are shut down. To maintain production, we cooperate with casting and rolling facilities in Hanoi and Ninh Binh, while concentrating on finishing and product quality here.”

Hung said the adjustments had helped production gradually stabilize, particularly during the year-end peak season.

Other workshop owners report similar strategies. Nguyen Quang Tuan, who specializes in bronze incense burners, said the final two months before Tet were the most intense period of the year.

His facility has extended working hours and hired seasonal workers, while sourcing raw materials from partners in the northern port city of Hai Phong to meet delivery deadlines.

Beyond maintaining output, Dai Bai artisans are also investing heavily in product design and quality to remain competitive. While traditional bronze items once dominated production, many workshops have introduced new designs that blend classical motifs with modern aesthetics.

Products in high demand during Tet include ancestral worship sets, feng shui items, zodiac animal statues, bronze paintings and decorative bronze flowers. Some producers now offer customized designs, tailoring size, patterns and materials to individual customer preferences.

Nguyen Anh Vinh, owner of Vinh Hang Fine Art Bronze, said staying attuned to changing tastes was essential. “I have been in this trade for 16 years,” he said. “I regularly study consumer trends to update designs. While I use technology in the design process, the core engraving and detailing remain handcrafted.”

Vinh said his workshop’s ability to customize products had helped build a loyal customer base both within and beyond Bac Ninh province.

Similarly, Nguyen Quang Dung, another artisan, said his workshop had diversified its product range this year by introducing artistic bronze flower arrangements, a technically demanding product line requiring meticulous craftsmanship.

Quality control has also become a key focus. Producers say they pay close attention to material selection, casting standards and finishing processes, ensuring durability and aesthetic consistency. As a result, Dai Bai bronze products are not only sold widely across Vietnam but are increasingly exported.

The village is now home to around 30 large enterprises operating efficiently, with exports reaching markets such as Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

Despite recent challenges, artisans say flexibility and innovation have allowed Dai Bai to weather the transition. Looking ahead, producers are calling on authorities to provide further support through clearer production zoning, expanded land allocation and investment in modern craft industrial zones equipped with proper waste treatment systems.

They also hope for stronger trade promotion and branding initiatives to help position Dai Bai bronze products in higher-value markets, as Vietnam pushes toward greener and more sustainable craft village development.

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