Adapting from the Creative City

Hoi An - a creative city focused on community and promoting the role and responsibility of stakeholders. Photo: QT

According to artisan Vo Dinh Hoang, owner of the Dé Latana Hoi An lantern production facility, handicrafts in Hoi An currently depend mainly on the tourism market. Changing designs and styles is necessary to adapt to the market.

"Products must combine both tradition and modernity. Only then can handcrafted products reach a wider market. We shouldn't consider handcrafted products as outdated; that makes integration very difficult," said Mr. Vo Dinh Hoang.

Recognizing the significant challenges faced by traditional craftspeople today in terms of linkages, from sourcing raw materials to connecting with businesses and travel agencies, Mr. Hoang believes that only through linkages can the craft develop. Support in connecting supply and demand is also something that craftspeople desire.

Handicrafts serve as "geographical indicators" of the region. In particular, folk knowledge, including traditional crafts, is vital to shaping the unique character of Hoi An.

Mr. Nguyen The Hung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City, said that the traditional and distinctive products of Quang Nam are very diverse and unique.

In Hoi An, the symbiotic and mutually supportive relationship between craft villages will contribute to opening up opportunities for their development. Organizing and showcasing traditional craft villages through festivals is a way to create a bridge connecting areas with traditional craft industries.

Having participated in the Hanoi Creative Design Festival in 2023, artisan Vo Tan Tan believes that Hoi An being recognized as a Creative City is a great opportunity for those working in traditional crafts. This title creates a new playing field and provides conditions for craftspeople to exchange ideas and promote their products to the world .

"This title also puts pressure on those working in traditional crafts to constantly explore and innovate so that their products have a fresher feel and better design to promote the image of their region through their products," said artisan Vo Tan Tan.

Each locality will hold the UNESCO-recognized title for a period of four years. After this time, UNESCO will review the criteria to continue recognizing the locality with the title.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Minh Hoa, an expert on urban planning, argues that if one day the majority of Hoi An's inhabitants are immigrants from other places, bringing with them completely new styles of business, production, and communication, then the title of "Creative City of Handicrafts and Folk Art" will no longer exist.

Recently, the People's Council of Hoi An City approved the project to build Hoi An into a Creative City for the period 2024-2027, with a vision to 2030.

This is an important foundation for effectively implementing commitments made upon joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, as well as proposing and applying policies to transform culture into a resource for promoting sustainable local development. Local initiatives have been outlined and developed according to specific roadmaps.

The flow of creativity and heritage, starting from the positive transformations of each traditional product and each craftsman and artisan in the craft village, is what constitutes sustainable development.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/thich-ung-tu-thanh-pho-sang-tao-3140574.html