Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Minh Tri made the suggestion at a meeting o­n a project to restore and develop the city’s traditional handicraft villages in the 2013-2015 period, with a vision to 2020.

HCM City has around 65 handicraft villages, including those making girdle cakes, weaving, casting and growing bonsai trees.

The local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed restoring, preserving and developing 13 traditional handicraft villages between 2013 and 2015. During the 2016-2020 period, the city will boost trade promotion programmes to seek outlets for these village’s products.

Le Hong Hoanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said these villages have a long development process, including the Thai My weaving village and Phu Hoa Dong girdle cake village in Cu Chi District which has been around for more than 80 years.

However, the vice chairman said the focus should be put o­n suburban handicraft villages, not those in inner-city areas. He instructed the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to define those villages which should be preserved to best promote economic development and which should be focused o­n for their cultural value.

 dtnews