On October 31, 2023, at its headquarters in Paris (France), the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced Hoi An as a Creative City in the field of Crafts and Folk Arts.
Hoi An is an ancient Vietnamese town, located in the lower reaches of the Thu Bon River in the coastal plain of Quang Nam province, about 30km south of Da Nang city.
This place was once known by many different names such as Lam Ap, Faifo, Hoai Pho and Hoi An.
As the only traditional Southeast Asian port in Vietnam, rare in the world , through many historical ups and downs, Hoi An still retains almost its original state with 1,360 relics including 1,068 ancient houses, 11 ancient wells, 38 clan churches, 19 pagodas, 43 shrines, 23 communal houses, 44 special ancient tombs and a bridge... This makes Hoi An a unique place in the annals of modern history.
By participating in the Creative Cities Network, localities, levels and sectors will need to raise awareness and implement initiatives and solutions to promote creative potential as a development resource.
Crafts and folk arts are outstanding strengths and are areas that Hoi An has effectively preserved and promoted in recent times.
The city currently has 5 traditional craft villages with nearly 50 active handicrafts, including carpentry, pottery, lantern making, bamboo and coconut making, garment making, leather making, etc. Of these, 3 craft villages and 1 traditional craft have been recognized as National Intangible Heritage and 2 other craft villages are preparing documents for recognition.
The ecosystem of craft villages, craft village communities, along with the long-standing customs, activities and beliefs of local residents have contributed to inspiring, forming and nurturing the richness and diversity of many unique folk art forms such as: hat ba trao, ho khoan, ho hat bai choi, poetry, ho ve, hat boi art, ritual dance, folk sculpture... truly and vividly reflecting the cultural and social characteristics of the land and becoming an essential part of the spiritual life of Hoi An people.
Among them, the art of Bài Chòi has been recognized as a representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (in 2017).
The majority of Hoi An residents participate in handicraft and folk art activities formally or informally, including groups: freelance workers and handicraft producers and traders; groups of artists, artisans, individuals belonging to professional associations, operating creative craft workshops; the remaining group includes businesses and traders in the field of handicraft and folk art.
The city currently has 658 small businesses and 1,710 business households operating in the field of handicrafts and folk arts.
It is estimated that there are about 4,000 direct workers with an average income of 3,500-4,000 USD per year from handicrafts and folk arts.
Hoi An is also a land of strong attraction and inspiration for domestic and foreign experts, creators and artists to live and create with a variety of creative forms and fields as well as depth and creative content; making this beloved city one of the most attractive creative spaces in the country.
Mr. Nguyen Van Lanh – Vice Chairman of Hoi An City People’s Committee – said that October 31st has gone down in Hoi An’s history – the day UNESCO named and honored Hoi An to join the Global Creative Cities Network. This is a milestone, a turning point in a new journey.
In the coming time, Hoi An city will develop a specific action plan to effectively implement the proposed initiatives in the dossier.
At the same time, connect with network members to build and develop together in the fields of creative culture.
In the context of global integration, Hoi An will develop mechanisms, policies and solutions to continue to proactively expand international exchanges and cooperation in scientific research, conservation and promotion of cultural heritage, natural resources, landscape embellishment and environmental protection.
Organize annual events and promote Hoi An as a destination for national and international folk art and craft festivals.
In the next four years, the city will promote the development of public-private partnerships and professional social organizations, mobilizing the creative participation of all members of the community (such as people, artisans, artists, businessmen, etc.).
Expand the start-up program, encourage young people to develop skills and creativity, call for initiatives to support handicraft production, combine conservation and development, innovate in a green direction, have quality, diversify and create added value for products, catch up with advanced creative design trends.
Promote cooperation resources, promote and design projects, models and creative spaces to preserve and develop crafts and folk arts, contributing to the good implementation of the city's general planning on sustainable development./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/de-hoi-an-xung-danh-thanh-pho-sang-tao-trong-nghe-thuat-dan-gian-post914565.vnp
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