An Duong preserves traditional craft villages amidst urbanization.

In the face of urbanization, An Duong ward (Hai Phong) is striving to preserve and develop traditional craft villages while simultaneously building tourist destinations with unique characteristics.

The peach orchard area in Tu Lap residential area.

Local identity

For the residents of Tu Lap and Dan Hanh neighborhoods (formerly part of Dong Du village, Dang Cuong commune, An Duong district), peach cultivation is no longer simply a way to develop the economy , but also a brand and identity of the locality.

According to Mr. Dang Van Tam, a peach tree grower in Tu Lap residential area, Dong Du flower and ornamental plant village has a long history, with its main products being ornamental peach trees and begonias.

Although it's hard work, ornamental plants bring much higher economic value than many other crops, helping people earn a more stable income. Therefore, despite the current difficulties in cultivation, he and many other households in the neighborhood always strive to overcome them to maintain the practice.

Besides the Dong Du flower and ornamental plant growing village, the ward currently has two other recognized craft villages: Tri Yeu flower and ornamental plant growing village, with its main products being ornamental peach trees, kumquat trees, and begonia; and Kinh Giao rice cracker production village.

Rice paper production in Kinh Giao craft village.

Specifically, the two flower and ornamental plant growing villages of Dong Du and Tri Yeu cover a total area of ​​nearly 130 hectares with approximately 800 households directly involved in production. In recent years, the production and business results of these villages have opened up a promising direction for development; the expansion of the village economic model has made a significant contribution to preserving the ecological environment and has become one of the most vibrant rural tourism destinations during the Lunar New Year.

Economic development activities in these two craft villages attract a large number of unemployed rural workers, providing them with stable jobs and income. The product consumption rate of these craft villages reaches 98%, and the average income of workers in these villages ranges from 10 to 15 million VND per month.

The Kinh Giao rice cracker production village has been granted a trademark certificate by the Intellectual Property Office of the Ministry of Science and Technology . Approximately 70 households in the village are engaged in this traditional craft, producing rice crackers using traditional methods for markets both within and outside the city. The products enjoy stable demand, contributing to job creation and a stable income for the local people.

Developing tourist attractions in craft villages.

During the period 2025-2030, one of the key tasks and solutions identified by An Duong ward to focus on promoting economic development in the area is the development of clean, organic agriculture linked to concentrated production areas, promoting the value of traditional crafts and eco-tourism and community-based tourism models within the urban-agricultural space.

According to Comrade Tran Thi Quynh Trang, Secretary of the Party Committee of An Duong Ward, traditional craft villages in the area are both a source of livelihood and a unique cultural heritage of the locality. This also serves as a foundation for An Duong to develop OCOP products, linking agriculture with services and tourism, creating a sustainable value chain in the context of urban development and expansion.

The local people take care of ornamental peach trees.

However, in reality, the development of craft villages still faces several difficulties. These include the lack of synchronized infrastructure for production; climate change, diseases, and urbanization pressures continuing to significantly impact production; and limited access to loans from credit institutions for production development.

To promote the value of traditional craft villages, in the coming time, An Duong ward will coordinate with city departments and agencies to implement support and incentive programs for the preservation and development of craft villages, such as preserving the gene pool of the Dong Du village's camellia flower variety and building product brands associated with the OCOP program. The ward also plans to utilize suburban areas, flower and ornamental plant growing regions, combined with rural cultural heritage, to develop community tourism tours, initially focusing on developing one tourist destination in the Dong Du flower and ornamental plant growing village that meets the standards for serving visitors.

To realize this goal, the government and people hope that the city will study appropriate mechanisms, remove land-related obstacles, expand land holdings, and create conditions for large-scale, efficient production; at the same time, it should have preferential policies on credit, support for transportation infrastructure, irrigation, electricity, and product display centers, in order to link production with tourism services.

MINH CHAM

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/an-duong-gin-giu-lang-nghe-truyen-thong-giua-do-thi-hoa-525997.html