Hanoi is taking actions to preserve and keep alive traditional trade villages, as heard at a July 23 workshop on solutions to the conservation and development of craft villages in the capital city in the 2021-2025 period.

The city wants to create a breakthrough in the production and export of handicrafts and the development of craft village tourism, said Nguyen Van Chi, Director of the Hanoi Rural Development Division.

In order to preserve and develop craft villages, the municipal People's Committee has directed the implementation of recognition of the titles of Hanoi craft villages and traditional ones, and propose the State confer the titles of people's artisan, meritorious artisan to Hanoi's artisans.

The division’s deputy head Tran Sy Tien cited the result of a 2020 survey as saying that at that time, Hanoi had 1,350 craft villages, of which 544 disappeared and 806 were in operation.

Among the 806 villages, 318 are recognised in 23 districts, towns and cities, including 270 craft villages, 48 traditional ones.

These craft villages and traditional ones have been actively contributing to restructuring, developing rural economy, creating jobs, increasing incomes for labourers, and creating a premise for the successful implementation of the one commune, one product (OCOP) programme and the building of new-style rural areas, Tien affirmed./.