LookAtVietnam – The Hue city Traditional Craft Festival will be held from June 12-14, with the theme: Traditional Craft – Identity and Development, to honour artisans and trade villages as well as to preserve and develop traditional crafts.

Teamwork: Two artisans work on a bronze artwork in a Hue casting workshop. The city is home to a variety of craft villages.

The fair will have more than 200 stalls displaying pottery, handicrafts, gold crafts and sculptures. The Viet Nam Handicraft Contest will be held at Thuong Bac Park, Hue City, from June 10-14 in conjunction with the festival.

It is hoped the fair will inspire and enhance the creativity of artisans and create domestic and international demand for Vietnamese products.

Various exhibitions on Vietnamese musical instruments, ancient and modern craft villages, Vietnamese bamboo space, traditional clothes, lanterns and calligraphy will feature different characteristics of villages.

The restored enamel paintings in Hue City will be prominently displayed.

During the festival, artisans will perform their trade along the Huong (Perfume) River. There will be days of traditional cuisine in the area of Food of Three Regions and tourist trips around Hue.

The festival follows the success of forerunners in 2005 and 2007.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan said the first two fairs were held in Ha Noi but it was decided the event should take place throughout Viet Nam to promote regional products, rural economic development and craft villages.

“The fairs were intended to create opportunities for artisans to exchange knowledge, advertise their products, seek partners, sign contracts, transfer technology and promote trade,” he said.

Viet Nam has 2,790 craft villages. It is expected the festival will contribute to reduce hunger and poverty in the villages and help preserve the national cultural identity and development.

With the theme of Bridge and River, associated with the 110-year anniversary of Trang Tien Bridge in Hue City, the festival will begin with special music and a dancing programme, to be aired on Viet Nam Television on June 13.

The festival is among many activities preceding the Hue Festival 2010 and Thang Long-Ha Noi’s 1,000th anniversary.

The event is organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Hue People’s Committee.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News