Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Craft Villages Festival 2023 will take place in Hanoi from October to November to preserveand promote the values of traditional craft villages, the organising board said at apress conference on September 26.

The event will be co-organised by the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A wide range of activities are on schedule, including a ceremony to honourexcellent craftsmen, an opening ceremony, an art programme, an internationalexhibition introducing craft products and those under the One Commune OneProduct (OCOP) programme, and an international workshop on preservation and developmentof craft villages.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel will host major events on November 9-12.

Particularly, the MARD will organise a Vietnamese handicraft product contest toencourage development of products with high applicability and meeting criteriafor sustainability during the international integration process. It aims topreserve the identity of Vietnamese craft villages, while enhancing products’values and improving workers’ income.

According to Director of the Department of Cooperatives and Rural DevelopmentLe Duc Thinh Chuc, the festival creates an opportunity to honour standout craftsmenand excellent workers, develop tourism offerings, and connect craft villageswith businesses to promote consumption.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Development Ta Van Tuong said that Hanoi will hostseven events of the festival, including a Van Phuc craft villageculture-tourism and trade week, an event to introduce the southern region’s OCOPproducts, and a Hanoi autumn festival.

Furthermore, the Hanoi Gift Show 2023 as well as visits to Hanoi craft villages suchas Bat Trang, Van Phuc and Duong Lam will be arranged within the framework ofthe festival./.