Deputy Director of Hà Nội's Department of Agriculture andEnvironment Nguyễn Đình Hoa chairs a meeting on preparations for theFestival for the Conservation and Development of International Craft Villages2025. — Photos courtesy of Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Environment

HÀ NỘI — From November 14 to 18, 2025, the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel in Hà Nội will transform into a global meeting place for craft excellence as it hosts the Festival for the Conservation and Development of International Craft Villages 2025.

This large-scale cultural, economic and tourism event is jointly organised by Hà Nội's People’s Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, bringing together around 350 exhibition booths and artisans from 30 countries and territories.

The event is not only a celebration of traditional craft values but also a strategic step affirming Hà Nội’s vision as a UNESCO Creative City, aiming to bring Vietnamese handicraft products to the global stage.

In the context of deepening globalisation – when many traditional craft values are at risk of fading – the festival is seen as a true gathering of artisans: a rendezvous of intelligence, skillful hands and creative spirit.

According to Nguyễn Đình Hoa, Deputy Director of Hà Nội's Department of Agriculture and Environment, this year’s event is dedicated to honouring outstanding artisans, skilled craftsmen and exemplary craft villages across Việt Nam, while expanding opportunities for international promotion and market connectivity.

The festival also contributes to building the brand of Vietnamese craft products within the global value chain.

With the theme 'Preservation–Cooperation–Development–Spreading Values,' the exhibition space at the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel will be designed on multiple levels, harmoniously blending tradition and modernity.

The 'Preservation Zone' will showcase ancient techniques, tools and traditional crafting processes, where visitors can witness firsthand Bát Tràng potters shaping clay, Vạn Phúc silk weavers working at their looms, Sơn Đồng artisans carving lacquered wood and Chuyên Mỹ craftsmen creating exquisite mother-of-pearl and lacquer inlays.

The 'Development Zone' will highlight products that integrate creative design, digital technology and the Net-Zero trend, promoting sustainable and eco-friendly production.

Meanwhile, the 'International Integration Space' will feature handicrafts from villages across Asia, Europe and Africa, opening a global cultural dialogue on the preservation and evolution of traditional crafts in the modern era.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Thanh, ViceChairman of Hà Nội's People’s Committee Nguyễn Mạnh Quyền and delegates visit the Bát Tràng ceramics exhibition space.

According to Joint Plan No.185/KHLT-UBND-BNNMT, signed on July 12, 2025, between Hà Nội's People’s Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the festival will feature 17 activities, including 11 main events and 6 side programmes, taking place from September through November 2025.

The series will begin with a ceremonial incense offering at Kính Thiên Palace, honouring the ancestors of traditional crafts and symbolising the connection between heritage and modernity.

It will be followed by a grand opening ceremony on the evening of November 14, an exhibition of craft products, a contest for outstanding Hà Nội and national handicrafts and a Việt Nam–International art exchange programme.

Other activities, such as thematic workshops, a fair of craft products and safe agricultural goods, an investment promotion conference, and the Kokan International Festival (Uzbekistan), will enrich the programme, creating opportunities for businesses, artisans and experts from Việt Nam and abroad to meet, exchange experiences and foster cooperation.

Hà Nội's Department of Agriculture and Environment will act as the standing agency for the festival, in collaboration with Hà Nội's Department of Tourism, to organise craft village tours connecting visitors to renowned destinations such as Bát Tràng pottery village, Vạn Phúc silk village, Chuyên Mỹ inlay village and Sơn Đồng wood carving village.

These tours will offer international friends an opportunity to experience the essence of Vietnamese craft culture right at its birthplace.

According to Nguyễn Mạnh Quyền, Vice Chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee, the festival is not only a cultural and tourism highlight but also a starting point for city's long-term strategy for craft village development through 2030, with a vision toward 2050.

"The successful organisation of the festival will serve as a strong driving force to realise the goal of elevating Hà Nội’s craft villages to regional and global prominence," Quyền said.

He noted that Hà Nội is home to about 1,350 craft villages and trade villages, dozens of which have achieved international acclaim, including Bát Tràng ceramics, Vạn Phúc silk, Chuyên Mỹ mother-of-pearl inlay, Phú Vinh bamboo and rattan weaving, Chuông conical hats and Sơn Đồng wood sculpture.

In February 2025, at the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long, Hà Nội's People’s Committee held a ceremony recognizing Bát Tràng Pottery Village and Vạn Phúc Silk Village as members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for Crafts and Folk Art.

These, he said, are "precious tangible and intangible cultural heritages" that need to be preserved and promoted in the era of global integration.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Võ Văn Hưng said that, with a spirit of connection and cooperation, the festival will demonstrate Việt Nam’s commitment to preserving and developing rural crafts in association with tourism, while encouraging innovation and environmental protection.

The introduction of the 'Net-Zero Craft Village' is expected to be a major highlight, reflecting the green and sustainable development orientation of Vietnamese handicrafts in the future.

More than just the political and cultural heart of the nation, Hà Nội is emerging as a 'City of Creativity', where traditional values are infused with the energy of the modern age.

The Festival for the Conservation and Development of International Craft Villages 2025 stands as a vivid testament to that spirit – preserving the roots while opening new doors to the world.

As the sound of hammering bronze harmonises with the rhythm of weaving silk, and as artisans carve, paint and mold their creations, visitors will not only witness the beauty of craftsmanship but also the story of the Vietnamese people – creative, industrious and rich in identity.

The festival is thus more than an exhibition; it is a living cultural forum, where Hà Nội sends a message to the world: "Preserve the Craft Spirit–Connect the World–Shape the Future."

The article was produced in collaboration with the Rural Development Division under Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Environment. — VNS