Creating economic value for traditional craft villages

In Can Tho, besides traditional craft villages that have developed thanks to the flexible combination of production and tourism, most craft villages are gradually disappearing. Having a systematic plan, connecting with the market and creating a successor team is a big challenge to not only preserve but also create economic value for craft villages.

People make rice paper at Thuan Hung rice paper village.

Besides the developing craft villages, bringing many economic benefits, there is a much more gloomy picture, with craft villages with handicraft products that are struggling, living mainly on brands that have existed in the past.

Contrasting colors

The Cai Rang noodle village, with over 100 years of history, was once famous in the West for its delicious, opaque white noodles. Later, when industrial machines gradually replaced human labor, the village's products gradually lost their place. Handmade noodles could not compete with machine-made products.

Faced with this situation, the workers here have shifted to developing tourism and creating many unique products. More noodle factories have been built, in large campuses with lots of trees. In addition to selling, noodle factory owners also earn income from guiding visitors and staying at homestays.

Instead of being just opaque white, the product now has red, blue, purple colors... Notably, the locals here have also created a special dish called "Hu Tieu pizza". The dish is made from noodles marinated in spices and fried until crispy. The top is covered with shredded fried eggs, braised meat and drizzled with coconut milk, fried onions, peanuts, and raw vegetables.

Tourists visit Cai Rang noodle village.

Thanks to these changes, today, Cai Rang noodle village is always bustling, welcoming many tourist groups to visit, learn and buy products.

We have to change to adapt to the market and cannot stick to the traditional way of doing things, which is to only produce and sell. Fortunately, up to now, the business of noodle factories here has been quite favorable. We also cooperate with travel and tourism companies to develop together. Many factories open more factories because during holidays and Tet, many customers come to visit and buy products.

Mr. Huynh Huu Hoai (owner of Sau Hoai noodle factory)

Similarly, the scene of Thuan Hung rice paper village, a craft village formed in the mid-19th century, is also showing development with new ways of doing things. The craft village has more than 60 households producing rice paper regularly, creating jobs for about 600 local workers, serving the domestic and export markets. Revenue in 2024 is estimated at 75 billion VND. In March 2023, the rice paper making profession in Thuan Hung was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Demonstration of handmade cakes of the craft village at a cultural event in Can Tho city.

Cai Rang noodles and Thuan Hung rice paper are just rare bright spots in the economic development situation in craft villages in Can Tho today when many craft villages are struggling to survive, let alone develop.

In Cai Chanh mat weaving village (Thuong Thanh ward), no one can recognize this as a traditional craft village that has been famous not only in Can Tho but also in the whole Southwest region. Coming here, it takes a lot of effort to find the addresses of a few households still doing the craft.

Ms. Bui Thi Dao, a skilled worker in Cai Chanh mat village, said that currently, she and a small number of mat makers only produce mats for fun. “Every day, we can only make a few pairs of mats, and sell them for just over 100,000 VND. Therefore, I only make them in my free time to ease my longing for the job. If no young people follow the profession, the craft village will probably not survive much longer,” Ms. Dao shared.

Images of only a few households still producing at a moderate level also appear in traditional craft villages such as Thoi Long basket weaving village, Long Tuyen toy making village, Thom Rom fishing net village...

In Long Tuyen ward, the craft of making traditional toys used to be bustling every Mid-Autumn Festival and Children's Day, becoming not only toys but also childhood memories for many generations. However, today, the craft has almost disappeared. Only a few old artisans still keep the craft because of their passion, while the young generation seems to no longer be interested in handmade items and instead turn to technological devices.

Thom Rom's hand-woven fishing nets used to support dozens of households along the Hau River, but now its products are overshadowed by cheaper, more durable industrial nets. The last households still keeping the craft have abandoned their weaving frames. Thoi Long's weaving village now has only a few elderly people working in the craft. The decline of craft villages is not only the loss of a livelihood but also the breaking of the cultural memory of the Tay Do land.

There is still room for growth.

According to some cultural experts and travel companies, the decline of craft villages is inevitable when the urbanization process and the planning of craft village development are not in harmony. Handicraft products cannot compete with industrial products. Meanwhile, localities do not have specific support policies and do not focus on training young successors. People in craft villages do not know how to commercialize products and do not exploit tourism effectively.

Long Tuyen toy village has only a few households still following the traditional profession.

Meanwhile, traditional craft villages are not simply places for producing goods, but also spaces to preserve the cultural identity of a land. Craft villages such as Cai Chanh, Thom Rom, Long Tuyen... are facing many problems, not only in terms of economy or product output, but also the lack of connection between craft villages and contemporary life.

Nowadays, young people are not very interested in this profession, partly because there are many jobs that can bring higher income, and partly because they do not see the cultural values. Meanwhile, conservation is mainly a formality, not orienting sustainable livelihoods for those doing the job.

Southern culture researcher Nham Hung

Mr. Hoang Nam (director of a travel company in Hanoi) said: During the survey of tours in the Southwest, we also saw the potential for developing experiential tourism associated with craft villages in Can Tho. However, only a few craft villages have investment. The rest are small-scale, fragmented, and difficult to incorporate into tour programs and routes. Therefore, it is necessary to reorganize production, link craft village products to modern needs and build creative economic models based on heritage.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, currently, production households in craft villages are mainly small-scale, fragmented, and have difficulty meeting large orders. Product quality is not high and competitiveness is low. The connection between production facilities with scientists, investors and the market is still loose and not closely connected. Most products do not have trademarks or have not been registered for intellectual property protection. Product quality is uneven, and the market is narrow. Product promotion and product branding have not been focused on...

Southern culture researcher Nham Hung believes that craft villages in Can Tho have a lot of room for development. However, it is necessary to evaluate craft villages according to market rules and have proper investment. Instead of focusing only on production to serve life, it is possible to make products for tourism in the direction of experiences and souvenirs.

Cai Rang noodle kilns are built in large spaces, suitable for tourism development.

Can Tho has many favorable conditions in terms of resources, culture, transportation and tourism. However, to take advantage of these advantages, many synchronous solutions are needed. It is urgent to review and re-evaluate all existing craft villages, including traditional crafts that are fading or have not been officially recognized.

The city also needs to plan the development of craft villages in accordance with local conditions, avoiding being overwhelmed by urbanization and land use changes. Production models need to be reorganized in a collective direction, through the establishment of cooperatives and cooperative groups to strengthen linkages and improve competitiveness.

Technical improvement, technological innovation and deeper participation in the e-commerce market, from packaging to trade promotion, must be focused on regularly. Training and passing on skills to the younger generation must be promoted, along with honoring artisans and preserving manual skills.

With consistent policies, innovative thinking and the participation of the entire community, traditional craft villages will not only bring cultural values but also become a sustainable economic sector of Can Tho.

HOANG PHAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tao-gia-tri-kinh-te-cho-lang-nghe-truyen-thong-post898507.html