Hoi An youth tell heritage stories

VHO - After nearly two months of studying and practicing global citizenship, project management and communication skills, the "Hoi An Young Leaders" concluded their first journey with an emotional closing ceremony.

The Kim Bong Du Ca group brought along sedge mats to increase the persuasiveness of their presentation.

Here, 14 innovative projects were presented by students with ideas that are contemporary but imbued with traditional values, aiming to revive and spread the quintessence of craft villages, handicrafts and unique folk arts of the heritage land.

Connecting indigenous knowledge, renewing heritage and craft villages

The Hoi An Youth Leadership Training Program is part of the project “Promoting innovation for youth and communities for sustainable urban development” implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) in collaboration with Hoi An city (formerly Quang Nam province) before the merger of Quang Nam and Da Nang; Wemaster Company Limited and Hoianlife are project implementation partners.

Organized using peer-to-peer teaching methods, empowering each student and organizing work in small groups, over nearly 2 months, more than 50 talented students from high schools in Hoi An were trained in global citizenship skills, developed leadership thinking, trained in design capacity, built innovative projects, marking the journey of discovery , developing leadership capacity in the 21st century and the context of globalization taking place in daily life.

The important activity of the program is the training session organized in the form of practical experience at Kim Bong carpentry village, aiming to equip students with a foundation of indigenous knowledge, recognize the competitive advantages of Hoi An craft villages and opportunities for economic development based on heritage.

Young people also learned and experienced the traditional craft of weaving sedge mats, and worked with artisans to carve their names on wooden blocks, creating meaningful products for themselves. In particular, they heard inspiring stories about the craft and preserving the traditional craft of building gourds from Mr. Nguyen Manh Than, the 16th generation gourd builder, and Nguyen Manh Tay, the 17th generation gourd builder...

During the field trip, artisans and businessmen also had discussions with students on the topic of economic development based on indigenous knowledge, connecting indigenous knowledge with economic value and sending expectations to Hoi An youth.

Focusing on the following contents: Ability to generate income from traditional occupations; Journey and personal stories about creating and trading products and services associated with local identity; Factors that create unique value and competitiveness of Hoi An's indigenous knowledge that no other place has; The role of technology and digital transformation in developing the market for the results of innovation.

Young people participate in a field trip at Kim Bong carpentry village

Telling heritage stories in modern language

Right from the first weeks of the program, 14 groups of Hoi An Young Leaders have worked together to create innovative projects, focusing on the following areas: Heritage, craft villages, folk arts and youth startups.

Topics range from performing arts such as Bài Chòi, Thiên Cẩu dance, to traditional crafts such as papier-mâché masks, Thanh Hà pottery village, Kim Bống carpentry village, Oriental medicine... along with ideas for creative games, “made in Hội An” souvenirs with a strong local touch.

All projects are nurtured by the love of heritage, developed by the sense of responsibility and creativity of young people who are joining hands to shape the future of the ancient city, a world cultural heritage and also a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities network.

During the closing ceremony, the students confidently presented to the Jury consisting of international experts, researchers and business leaders. From the way of communication to the content of the proposal, the groups demonstrated their ability to apply communication, project management and innovative thinking in a systematic and professional manner.

Three outstanding projects were honored: First prize “Kim Bong Du Ca” - a creative community tourism model, connecting experiences in Kim Bong and Cam Kim carpentry villages into a continuous journey of discovery. The bold idea of “flood season tour” with a vivid presentation using local specialties, sedge mats and leaflets designed as a real tourism product touched the listeners’ emotions.

Second prize “Cham La Cham Lanh” combines cultural tourism with traditional medicine, the project introduces the experience of making medicine, health consultation, sharing knowledge of Oriental medicine, contributing to the revival of traditional professions through a modern and close perspective. Third prize “Neo Choi”, with “Neo” meaning “new” (in Greek), the project aims to preserve and spread the art of Bai Choi with modern tools such as digital libraries, souvenirs, integrated design in restaurant - hotel spaces to bring folk songs back to life today.

Mr. Quang Van Quy, Deputy Director of the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center, highly appreciated the depth of research and practical application of the projects, emphasizing that young people are opening a new direction for heritage conservation through creativity. The reviewers also expressed their hope that many projects will continue to develop into viable business models, with the support of businesses and investors who share the same vision of sustainable development.

The projects are not only products of intelligence, but also emotional journeys of experience, where skills and knowledge are transformed into concrete actions, preserving identity, connecting the community and inspiring innovation on a traditional foundation. This is how the young generation of Hoi An is "continuing to draw" a creative urban area with a local, Asian, sustainable and profound imprint.

After the program, the students will continue their journey with the Hoi An Youth Innovation Club, where their projects will have the opportunity to become prototype products, contributing to the development of innovation initiatives in Hoi An and expanding to the Da Nang area.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nguoi-tre-hoi-an-ke-chuyen-di-san-161177.html