Rekindling the flame of traditional crafts in Hoi An

In the early days of the new year, the crowds flocking to Hoi An have the opportunity to experience layers of cultural heritage living alongside contemporary life. Traditional craft villages, from ancient pottery kilns and lantern-lit streets to carpentry and mat-making villages, demonstrate that the flow of heritage in Hoi An is being continued through creative and inspiring approaches, especially from the younger generation.

Tourists learn about the art of wood carving at Củi Lũ Village.

In the early days of the new year, crowds flock to Hoi An ( Da Nang city) to admire the beautiful scenery and have the opportunity to experience the layers of cultural heritage that are still alive and well in contemporary life. Traditional craft villages, from centuries-old pottery kilns and lantern streets to carpentry and mat-making villages along the Thu Bon River, demonstrate that the flow of heritage in Hoi An is being continued through creative and inspiring methods, especially by the younger generation.

Traditional craft villages become a sustainable source of livelihood.

Spring in Hoi An is radiant with the golden hues of apricot blossoms and chrysanthemums, and the honey-like sunlight shimmering on the mossy walls of ancient houses and yin-yang tiled roofs. About 3 km west of the town center, the tranquil Thanh Ha pottery village emerges with the scent of damp clay, the lingering smoke from the kilns, and the rhythmic sound of the potter's wheel. In 2025, Thanh Ha pottery village (Hoi An Tay ward) was awarded the title of "Best Community Tourism Destination" by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; prior to that, in 2019, Thanh Ha pottery was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. In Thanh Ha today, from the kilns and courtyards to the small exhibition spaces, every space revolves around pottery.

Following a group of Korean tourists, I visited the Son Thuy pottery workshop of Mr. Nguyen Viet Lam and Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet Nhung, two prominent figures among the young artisans of the village who are diligently seeking new directions for Thanh Ha pottery. Drawing on knowledge accumulated from school and practical experience, artisan Lam, born in 1988, is persistently experimenting to recreate the ancient glaze colors of the village.

Artisan Lam shared that a ceramic product must go through five basic stages: preparing the clay, shaping the pottery, decorating with patterns, glazing, and firing; the completion time is at least 15 days. Son Thuy is currently the first and only establishment in Thanh Ha to apply glaze and fire at approximately 1,200°C for 12 hours, creating durable and aesthetically pleasing products. Therefore, Son Thuy pottery not only sells for 3-4 times the price of raw pottery, but also travels with tourists to many countries and plays the role of "cultural ambassadors" of Hoi An.

9x generation ceramic artist Nguyen Viet Lam creates innovative products.

Furthermore, it's impossible not to mention the hands-on experience of becoming a pottery artisan, which is both popular with foreign tourists and attracts domestic groups including children and young people. Thanh Ha pottery village currently has 37 households with nearly 70 direct laborers, earning an average income of 7-10 million VND per person per month. In 2001, the village only welcomed 674 visitors, generating over 8 million VND in revenue; by 2025, that number had exceeded 251,000, with 95% being international tourists.

Returning to the ancient town at sunset, the colorful lanterns illuminating the streets of Hoi An attract many groups of tourists who stop to take photos and videos. Hoi An lanterns are not just decorations but also cultural symbols. Unlike the paper or nylon lanterns of many Asian countries, Hoi An lanterns are covered in silk, brocade, or linen, making them durable and eye-catching.

In Cam Ha, everyone knows about the distinguished artisan Huynh Van Ba, who made a significant contribution to improving the foldable lantern frame, making the product easier to transport and widely available. Building on that foundation, Vo Dinh Hoang (41 years old) founded the Dé Lantana lantern line, incorporating coconut fiber paper into the designs and telling new stories about memory and identity. At the Ocean 2025 International Lantern Festival, his Hoi An Craft group won the top prize with their collection of works "The Sacred Soul of Vietnam," affirming their ability to combine traditional techniques with contemporary creative thinking.

Beyond mere display, lanterns have become a tourism product. In 2023, Tripadvisor ( the world's largest travel platform) ranked the Hoi An lantern-making workshop among the top 10 most attractive experiences in Vietnam. At workshops like Ha Linh, Long Vy, and Thanh Truc, visitors can personally build the frame, stretch the fabric, and paint the patterns. An Australian female tourist shared: "The lantern I brought home may not be perfect, but it's associated with a very beautiful afternoon in Hoi An, Vietnam."

Unleashing the power of creativity.

Along the Thu Bon River, Kim Bong carpentry village awakens at dawn to the sounds of saws and chisels. In the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Hoi An trading port flourished, Kim Bong carpentry reached its peak, developing four branches: construction carpentry, household carpentry, fine art carpentry, and boat carpentry. The Kim Bong imprint is present in many wooden structures in Hoi An, Da Nang, and other localities, contributing to shaping the architectural landscape of the region. Having overcome many ups and downs, facing numerous difficulties and the risk of decline, Kim Bong now not only preserves its traditional carpentry craft but also actively innovates, diversifies its products, and has become an attractive experiential destination.

At Huynh Ri Woodworking Workshop, the atmosphere of welcoming guests at the beginning of spring seems even more joyful and proud as the owner, artisan Huynh Suong (56 years old), has just been honored with the title of People's Artisan at the start of the new year 2026. As the 13th generation of the famous Huynh family woodworking brand in Hoi An, Mr. Suong has directly trained hundreds of local apprentices to become skilled craftsmen and encouraged his children to study art formally to continue the family tradition.

Besides the Kim Bong carpentry village, there is also the Kim Bong sedge mat weaving village, a place that preserves and tells stories of folk culture and knowledge. Ms. Pham Thi Cong (born in 1989), after many years working as a tour guide, returned to the village to revive the traditional craft. The riverside area has been renovated into a demonstration space where tourists can join in the fields, drying sedge, dyeing, and weaving mats. Her facility has achieved OCOP 3-star rating; in December 2024, Kim Bong mat weaving was recognized as a traditional handicraft.

Notably, in Hoi An recently, many models have emerged that integrate contemporary art into traditional craft villages, such as the Taboo Bamboo workshop of Mr. Vo Tan Tan in the Cam Thanh coconut forest, and the Cui Lu Village of Mr. Le Ngoc Thuan in Cam Ha... where local bamboo and wood are elevated to become artistic materials for sculpture and installation.

Overall, it can be seen that Hoi An's craft village tourism is shifting from a "sightseeing-shopping" model to an "experiential-interactive-storytelling" model. However, challenges remain, including the risk of commercialization diluting the unique character, pressure from large numbers of tourists, uneven quality of experiences, scarcity of traditional materials, and the dilemma of balancing conservation and development.

According to experts, rational tour route planning, establishing quality standards for experiences, supporting artisans, training tourism skills for local people, and encouraging creativity among young people based on local values ​​are necessary directions.

In recent years, the youth of Hoi An have entered the scene with a new mindset. Following the Hoi An Young Leaders Training Program 2025, 50 young people have developed 14 innovative projects on heritage preservation and traditional crafts. Recently, the Quang Nam Green Destination Club and about 20 travel businesses nationwide conducted a survey and included 10 typical traditional craft villages in Hoi An, Hoi An Dong, and Hoi An Tay wards into a new tour route map, aiming to diversify Da Nang's tourism products in 2026.

According to Luong Bich Ha, Director of Wide Eyed Travel & Tour Company, Hoi An's craft village culture has great potential for development, aligning with the trend of green, environmentally friendly tourism, especially with handcrafted and healing products – values ​​that are attracting attention from the European, American, and Australian markets.

Beneath its ancient, charming streets, Hoi An harbors a vibrant energy, where traditional crafts are rekindled by the collaboration of artisans, the community, government policies, and the creativity of young people.

HAI LAM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tiep-lua-cho-nghe-xua-pho-hoi-post939543.html