Artisans from Son Dong Village demonstrate traditional wood carving. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
The first Global Festival for the Conservation and Development of Craft Villages 2026 will take place in Hanoi from November 13 to 16, featuring handicraft exhibitions and demonstrations, investment promotion, creative design networking, and craft village tourism promotion.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for 7 pm on November 14. During the festival, exhibition and demonstration spaces will showcase craft village products, enabling artisans, production establishments and businesses to promote their products and establish trade connections.
On November 14, a conference on investment promotion for rural industry products is scheduled to be held at the Centre for Vietnam Craft Village Quintessence in Hanoi's Bat Trang commune.
The following day, the Asia-Pacific Handicraft Competition will take place at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, providing a platform for artisans and designers to connect and fostering creativity in handicraft product development. A cultural exchange and fashion promotion programme featuring Vietnamese and international handicrafts is scheduled for 7 pm the same day at the venue.
People visit the 2025 International Craft Village Conservation and Development Festival. Photo: VNA
Other activities will include the first Hanoi Craft Village Product Competition and Artisan Honouring Ceremony 2026, as well as the Vietnam Fine Arts and Handicrafts Product Competition 2026. Art performances and exchange programmes are scheduled for the evenings of November 13 and 16 at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Exchange and hands-on activities will also be organised at craft villages in Hanoi and neighbouring Ninh Binh province as part of the festival.
The municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment has been assigned to coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors and units to organise the festival.
The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been tasked with stepping up communications and promotion efforts and connecting tours to prominent craft villages, including Bat Trang, Van Phuc, Chuyen My, Son Dong and Duong Lam. The city has also asked localities with craft villages to improve their landscapes and prepare artisans and products for exhibitions, demonstrations and visits.
Through a series of exhibitions, exchanges, investment promotion and tourism activities, the festival aims to connect Vietnamese craft villages with international partners, promote the value of traditional handicrafts and foster the development of rural crafts./.
