THỪA THIÊN- HUẾ — A festival to highlight and celebrate Vietnamese craftsmanship opened in Huế yesterday evening with a ceremony bathed in music and light.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Huế Craft Village Festival, Nguyễn Văn Thành, chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, said the event aimed to honour the quintessence of Vietnamese craftsmanship and enhance craft production in light of modern needs.

"The event is also to create chances for stronger co-operation in craft production and trade towards the making of products that can be sold at home and abroad," said Thành, who is also head organiser of the event.

The five-day festival has attracted the participation of many craft villages and artisans from different parts of Việt Nam.

They are presenting at least 13 major crafts in the country including paper paintings, lantern-making, paper flowers, bronze casting, knitting of mats, embroidery, glass paintings, kite making and traditional weaving.

It will showcase 2,000 products including bamboo lamps, tea pot trays, chairs, table sets, lanterns, and decorative rattan pieces.

An added feature is instant training sessions by skilful and experienced artisans for those interested in learning to make the items.

Huế’s history of royal patronage saw many crafts flourish, including embroidery, which is kept alive till today by many families whose ancestors once served royalty.

This year’s festival will feature 200 embroidery shops and facilities in the city, showing off their excellent skills and outstanding products.

Huế conical hats, with transcription of poems under the leaf layers are another attraction at the event.

The work done with bamboo and rattan in Bao La Village, where production has shifted from farming tools to furniture and decoration items, is also on display.

Festival goers can also admire pottery and terracotta products from the north, fabric woven by the H’re people in Quảng Ngãi Province, as well as baked bricks and mosquito-fern mats from southern Vĩnh Long.

An áo dài fashion show on the city’s iconic Trường Tiền Bridge, with the gowns featuring prints of famous paintings by 20 prominent artists of the city, will be a festival highlight.

The collection is now exhibited in a park called the Áo dài Garden.

Those wearing the country’s traditonal dress during the festival days in the city will get free rides around the city on decorated cyclos.

The festival expects to attract residents enjoying the long weekend that celebrates National Reunifiction Day and May Day. — VNS