First winners of the 2026 Vietnam handicrafts competition. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Up to 55 handicraft products were honoured at the 2026 Vietnam handicrafts competition, with five first, 10 second, 15 third and 25 consolation prizes presented as part of the opening of the 22nd Vietnam Craft Village Fair in Hà Nội on October 8.

Winners came from Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh, Hải Phòng, Hưng Yên, Phú Thọ, Huế, Tuyên Quang, Nghệ An, An Giang, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi and Tây Ninh. The entries drew on a wide range of materials and techniques, blending traditional cultural values with creative design and production.

The Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment also launched a week of events promoting and connecting agricultural and rural tourism.

Nguyễn Minh Tiến, Director of the centre, said the parallel events aim to build a value chain spanning craft preservation, product innovation, promotion, experiential activities, tourism, market connectivity and sales. The goal is to preserve craft villages’ cultural values while opening routes for their products, One Commune One Product (OCOP) items and rural tourism sites to reach consumers, companies, partners and tourists. Over time, the effort should turn traditional values into resources for sustainable rural economic development.

The centre treats support for craft village and OCOP stakeholders in promotion and market connections as a regular task, which needs a clear focus and must track real market demand, he said.

The fair has nearly 100 booths and a joint exhibition area showcasing craft village culture and distinctive village models. It is introducing OCOP products and top handicrafts to domestic and foreign buyers.

Through the event, organisers encourage artisans and producers to raise product quality and improve designs to match modern consumer tastes, while fostering ties with distributors, supermarkets and e-commerce platforms.

Digital sales are a focus. Livestream sessions on TikTok Shop are selling handicrafts and OCOP items. Meanwhile, products on display carry QR codes that give visitors details on origin and other attributes, aimed at improving transparency, promotional impact and links to modern markets.

The accompanying week seeks to tie the preservation of cultural values and indigenous knowledge to rural tourism, creating additional livelihoods for locals. Models on show include five-star OCOP-certified operations, craft village tourism, ecotourism, and circular, medicinal plant and forest-based tourism.

The events will run at the Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture, 489 Hoàng Quốc Việt Street, through October 12. — VNA/VNS