Gen Z works in traditional jobs

Quietly returning to their craft villages, reviving the cultural capital that has taken root for hundreds of years with unique creations, young people not only continue the profession, but also give it a new voice in today's life.

Young people return to traditional occupations and stimulate local tourism development. Photo: Le Trong Khang

Experiments on the old foundation

An interesting combination of photographer Le Trong Khang, Tran Thi Yen (Ma Chau silk village) and Nguyen Viet Lam (Thanh Ha pottery village) with a souvenir gift set with a strong Quang style surprised many people.

Ma Chau silk scarf set and Thanh Ha ceramic products with images of landscapes and cultural identity of Quang region are hand-painted, embroidered for silk paintings or live glaze for ceramic products. This trio of young people from Quang region are bringing the products of this combination to many tourist spaces of Da Nang city every day.

Tran Thi Yen and Nguyen Viet Lam are both familiar names to those who love traditional handicrafts. Both are in their 90s and are descendants of older artisans in their craft villages. They are always concerned about how to preserve their ancestors' craft.

Thanks to Tran Thi Yen’s efforts, Ma Chau silk has become a material chosen by famous Vietnamese designers at international fashion weeks. Not stopping there, she has moved on to experimenting with silk in more product lines.

Meritorious artisan Huynh Ri has taught young people in Kim Bong carpentry village. Photo: Hoi An Cultural Center

Similar to Yen's aspiration, Nguyen Viet Lam (born in 1996) has been diversifying Thanh Ha pottery products day by day. Still on the foundation of traditional handmade pottery of the craft village for more than 500 years, Thanh Ha pottery has added glazed pottery products and unique souvenirs, contributing to positioning the products of traditional craft villages.

Da Nang City currently has up to 60 traditional craft villages, stretching from the mountains to the plains. Each space has its own traditional occupations and craft villages associated with its own cultural values. The valuable thing about young people returning to craft villages in Quang Nam is that they have created many opportunities to promote craft village products through different methods.

People's Artisan Nguyen Van Tiep - Vice President of the Vietnam Craft Villages Association said, when young people are inspired, they will understand that traditional crafts are closely linked to national cultural identity, and there will certainly be people who choose to stick with and contribute.

Quang Nam has many handicraft products that have left their mark on the export market and become unique souvenirs of the country. And the contribution of young people is not small.

Modernizing craft village products

At Non Nuoc Stone Craft Village, most of the products are now equipped with technology chips. This is also the first craft village in the country to attach blockchain chips to traditional handicraft products. The "cultural stories" of each Non Nuoc stone craft product appear through smartphones. From the product conception process to the manufacturing stage, information about the author, the origin of the raw materials... are told in layers.

Students visit and experience Thanh Ha pottery village. Photo: LE TRONG KHANG

A representative of the Non Nuoc Stone Craft Village Management Board said that the village currently has about 384 large and small production facilities with about 1,500 workers. Of these, more than half are young local workers. They are the force that contributes to the application of digital technology to products more conveniently, as well as to spread the "cultural story" of the village's products widely.

“They research beautiful products with diverse sizes, film and take photos themselves, and interpret information to put into the products, thereby improving labor productivity. In the near future, households in the village plan to invest in “robotic arms” that can replace up to 90% of the steps,” said a representative of the Non Nuoc Stone Craft Village Management Board.

Digital technology with its utilities has contributed to promoting craft village products and bringing products that were once limited to local spaces to customers in Hanoi, Saigon, and even abroad, with electronic trading floors.

Not stopping there, traditional craft villages are making efforts to become impressive destinations for tourists. Developing community tourism based on craft villages is the goal that Da Nang city has determined in the future.

Mr. Van Ba ​​Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City, said that currently, community tourism sites are mainly operated by young people. For traditional craft villages oriented towards developing craft village tourism, the role of young people is even more important. Experiential workshops for tourists as well as them becoming tour guides in craft villages will bring special marks to develop craft village tourism.

The Draft Political Report of the Executive Committee of the Da Nang City Party Committee, Term XXII, requires the development of high-quality tourism and services, associated with the preservation and promotion of revolutionary traditional values, cultural heritage, and becoming an attractive destination in the world. In particular, promoting the development of agricultural and rural tourism associated with indigenous culture and ecological experiences. Building models of community tourism, traditional craft villages and smart agricultural farms; encouraging the development of forest - medicinal - ecological tourism and community economic models in areas with favorable conditions...

Source: https://baodanang.vn/gen-z-lam-nghe-truyen-thong-3301156.html