Hanoi has further affirmed its status as Vietnam’s largest craft village hub as four of its traditional villages have been officially recognised as members of the Global Network of Creative Craft Cities by the World Crafts Council (WCC).

Bat Trang pottery village is iconic craft brands with long histories.

According to the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, the capital currently has about 1,350 craft villages and villages with traditional trades, including 337 recognised by the municipal People’s Committee.

Beyond their role in promoting rural economic development, these craft villages also help preserve and promote the distinctive cultural heritage of the capital.

In 2025, two of Hanoi’s well-known craft villages, Bat Trang pottery village and Van Phuc silk village, were recognised by the WCC as official members of the global network.

Both are iconic craft brands with long histories, producing items of high technical and artistic quality that are popular in both domestic and international markets.

In February 2026, the WCC continued its evaluation and decided to recognise two additional Hanoi craft villages, including Chuyen My, known for mother of pearl inlay, and Son Dong, famous for traditional handicrafts, as official members of the network.

With four of the 73 craft villages worldwide listed in the network, Hanoi has become the first and only locality in Vietnam to achieve this distinction.

The recognition is not only a source of pride for the capital but also creates opportunities to promote these craft villages globally, strengthen international connections, and support their sustainable development in the process of global integration.

From riverside village to wooden mosaic painting imbued with Kinh Bac culture

BAC NINH – On quiet afternoon in Khuc Toai, a small riverside area in Bac Ninh province, discarded pieces of wood left behind after a day’s trade once sparked an idea that few could have imagined would grow into a distinctive art form. From what many considered scraps, a unique line of wooden mosaic paintings has gradually taken shape, quietly but persistently preserving the cultural essence of the Kinh Bac region in northern Vietnam. 

Thuan Thanh aglow with colourful paper at year’s end

Visiting the traditional craft village of Thuan Thanh ward at the end of the lunar year, one is greeted by an abundance of diep paper, coloured paper, and shimmering metallic paper. The bright, vibrant hues are a joyful signal of the vitality of today’s folk painting and votive paper–making villages. 

Spaces for traditional craft villages expanded

Amid the currents of integration, craft villages in Viet Nam are increasingly taking the initiative to bring their products to wider markets, engaging in exchanges and cooperation with global craft traditions through exhibitions, trade fairs and festivals. This trend is opening up new development space for trade and tourism, while also posing fresh demands for preserving and enriching the values of Viet Nam’s traditional crafts.

 

Hanoi craft villages bustle as Lunar New Year approaches

Hanoi is home to the largest number of craft villages nationwide, with about 1,350 villages and craft-based communities, accounting for roughly 56% of rural villages in the capital. Of these, 318 are officially recognised as traditional craft villages.

 

Dai Bai bronze casting village gears up for Lunar New Year demand

BAC NINH - With less than two months to go before the Lunar New Year 2026, the centuries-old bronze casting village of Dai Bai in northern province of Bac Ninh is entering its busiest production season, even as environmental restrictions have forced major changes in how workshops operate.

Promote values of traditional craft villages

BAC NINH - Bac Ninh is renowned as a land of hundreds of crafts. Over the ups and downs of time, craft villages in this land have been preserved and developed. In the process of integration, the next generations have been joining hands to develop trademarks, preserve and promote values of traditional craft villages inherited from their ancestors.