Cooperatives lead the craft village economy

Leading the way in technological innovation.

Located in the heart of the long-standing woodcraft village of Khuc Toai neighborhood, Kinh Bac ward, the Khuc Xuyen Fine Woodworking Cooperative has 15 member households and serves as a distribution hub for many households producing wooden paintings, stair railings, tables, chairs, antique beds, and cabinets in the area. With the desire to both preserve the traditional craftsmanship and develop wood products that meet market demands, the Cooperative actively seeks and applies new technologies to improve productivity and product quality.

The Phu Lang Pottery Service and Tourism Cooperative links households together to develop craft village tourism.

As one of the founders of the Cooperative, artisan Nguyen Van Hung, the "father" of the unique wood mosaic art, said: "In the context of economic development and increasing trade demand, whether it's a production facility specializing in fine art wood products or everyday wood products, machinery is needed to replace human labor. Therefore, we encourage households to use machinery depending on the requirements of each production stage, such as saws, planers, milling machines, sanders, drills, presses, and high-tech computerized wood cutting machines..., to better meet market demands and increase revenue for the facilities."

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, a member of the Cooperative, happily said: “Thanks to joining the Cooperative and learning from the experience of several wood production facilities inside and outside the province, we installed a high-precision computerized wood cutting system, shortening production time. For example, if we invest in a wood carving machine with 4-6 drilling heads, we can carve 4 to 6 identical pictures simultaneously at a continuous speed, making it easy and uniform to carve surfaces, letters, details, and decorative patterns on many different types of wood materials.”

Besides supporting and guiding members and households engaged in the craft in selecting appropriate technologies and installing equipment to suit their scale and needs, the Khuc Xuyen Fine Woodworking Cooperative also acts as a focal point, leading and coordinating brand building to enhance the reputation and expand the fame of traditional products. In 2024, the collective trademark "Khuc Xuyen Fine Woodworking" was granted to the Khuc Xuyen Fine Woodworking Cooperative; 20 exemplary production households were awarded certificates of the right to use this collective trademark, facilitating product promotion.

Diverse services

The Phu Lang pottery village in Phu Lang commune currently has about 250 pottery-producing households, providing jobs for 500-600 workers. Although it is becoming increasingly well-known, the households still primarily rely on traditional methods, lacking integration with tourism and insufficient facilities for visitors to experience the craft. Some establishments only operate on weekends, holidays, and Tet (Lunar New Year), and do not maintain regular business. In early 2024, the Phu Lang Pottery Service and Tourism Cooperative, with 15 members, was established, opening up opportunities for tourism development, promoting pottery products, and improving economic efficiency.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Ngoc, Director of the Cooperative, shared: “We recognize that developing tourism in craft villages not only brings profits and helps people increase their income, but also serves as a way to preserve and conserve the traditional cultural values of Phu Lang pottery village. Therefore, the Cooperative's action plan is to gather households, develop production and service plans operating on a voluntary and cooperative basis, in line with market demands.”

Sharing her aspirations to join the cooperative, Ms. Dang Thi Tam, owner of Minh Tam pottery workshop, affirmed: “Joining the cooperative helps businesses to more clearly define their service areas. Currently, my family and several other households are contributing capital to build the Vietnamese Cultural Preservation Center - Phu Lang Traditional Pottery Village. This is the first model in the craft village to collaborate with businesses and travel agencies to organize experiential tours and routes. It includes many features such as product displays and pottery-making experiences, attracting many tourists.”

It can be seen that the majority of cooperatives and businesses originating from craft villages are playing a crucial role in expanding linkages between production and business establishments, promoting and showcasing the beauty of traditional crafts. Many cooperatives serve as hubs for transferring scientific and technical knowledge and passing on local traditional crafts to future generations. These cooperatives all aspire to access appropriate support mechanisms and policies to invest in technology, capital, human resource training, production facilities, and trade promotion. This will create favorable conditions and strengthen the cooperatives, aiming for the sustainable development of craft villages.

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