Students woke up at 2 AM, eager to "hunt" for photos of traditional craft villages.

Following in the footsteps of mat weavers, salt makers, and pottery painters from 2 AM, many journalism students in Ho Chi Minh City brought back moving photo collections about traditional craft villages, which were showcased at the "Ancient Villages, Digital Rhythms" exchange program on May 13th.

Báo Phụ nữ Việt Nam•13/05/2026

The event, organized by Ho Chi Minh City Book Street in collaboration with other units, aims to honor and promote the preservation and development of traditional Vietnamese craft villages, and to raise awareness among young people in the digital age about preserving cultural heritage.

The activity also supports the policy of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to strengthen the implementation of solutions for developing rural industries; Resolution No. 85/NQ-CP, dated April 4, 2026, on agriculture , farmers, and rural areas until 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Traditional craft villages should be linked to experiences and tourism.

The program featured speakers including: artisan Tran Thi Yen from Lai Thieu pottery village; Gen Z pottery artist Nguyen Tran Phuong Thao, Ho Chi Minh City Reading Culture Ambassador 2023-2024; journalist Trung Nghia; and many students from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City).

Journalist Trung Nghia argues that traditional craft villages today cannot simply focus on selling handcrafted products but need to be linked to experiences, tourism, and storytelling through digital platforms. "Nowadays, people don't just buy the product, they also buy the process of creating it," he shared.

My Suong, a journalism student, shares her journey in creating the photo series about the traditional conical hat-making village of Duc Hoa.

According to journalist Trung Nghia, social media, videos, and online platforms are also opening up opportunities for traditional craft villages to reach younger audiences.

At the exchange roundtable, artisan Tran Thi Yen, who has been involved in Lai Thieu pottery for over 40 years, said that the most important thing for her to preserve the craft is passion and perseverance. The greatest joy for a craftswoman is when her products are loved and used by customers in their daily lives. For her, each product is not simply a handcrafted item but also the culmination of memories, emotions, and experience accumulated over many years.

Telling stories of traditional crafts using the "language" of young people.

For Gen Z artisan Nguyen Tran Phuong Thao, incorporating elements from movies, comics, and modern colors into ceramic products is a way for the craft village to reach younger generations.

According to Phuong Thao, in the digital age, it only takes a few seconds to create a beautiful image using technology, but the value of handcrafted products lies in the story and emotions that the artisan conveys. And young people will be more likely to appreciate traditional values when they can connect with them through new storytelling methods.

The highlight of the program is the exhibition space showcasing photographs of traditional craft villages in Ho Chi Minh City and many other provinces and cities, created by students from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

Bộ ảnh về nghề làm guốc gỗ mỹ nghệ của sinh viên Khoa báo chí, được trưng bày tại Đường sách — A photo collection showcasing the craft of making wooden clogs by journalism students is on display at the Book Street.

The exhibition, open to the public at the Book Street from May 13th to 17th, features numerous photo collections about Lai Thieu pottery village, Dinh Yen mat weaving village (Dong Thap), Ly Nhon salt village (Can Gio), Phu Hoa Dong rice paper village (Cu Chi), Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer village, lion and dragon head making in Cho Lon, Le Minh Xuan incense village, An Hoi bronze casting village, and Thu Dau Mot wooden clog making…

Journalist Trung Nghia said that to create these photo series, some groups of students woke up at 2 am to go to Can Gio to capture moments of people making salt or fishing at dawn. Another group went to Dinh Yen mat-weaving village (Dong Thap) and spent two days and one night taking photos to meet elderly artisans who still practice the traditional craft of weaving mats.

At the event, the illustrated book series "Glorious Traditional Crafts" published by Kim Dong Publishing House - a work that recently won the 8th National Book Award in 2026 - was also introduced to readers.