Craft Link’s Handicraft Bazaar 2016

(VNF) - The Craft Link Handicraft Bazaar 2016 will take place at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi on November 19^th (from 9.00 a.m till 4.30 p.m).

The Handicraft Bazaar 2016 will gather ethnic minorities from different parts of Vietnam who wish to sell their exotic products and demonstrate their traditional skills, Craft Link said in a statement.

It aims to preserve traditional culture, help handicraft producers increase their income and develop a sustainable value chain through finding more markets for their products and to improve people’s awareness of cultural and economic values of Vietnamese traditional handicrafts.

Selected artisans from around Hanoi and disadvantaged groups will showcase their wares as well. The event will feature a raffle, craft-making demonstration, lottery prizes and dancing performances. Hanoi residents as well as tourists find the November bazaar an ideal place to shop for Christmas.

Each ticket will cost VND 40,000 (USD 1.8) with museum entrance fee included.

The event has been organized by Craft Link, a Hanoi-based organization which helps traditional handicraft producers to revive their culture and improve their livelihoods through production and marketing.

Products made by Craft Link-supported groups of ethnic women on display at the previous craft fairs in Hanoi. (Photo: Craft Link)

The establishment of Craft Link was initiated by Tran Tuyet Lan and seven other Vietnamese youngsters, who held that economic development has benefited many people but also left many others behind.

Craft Link was established to support and organise necessary skills and information for the targeted groups so that they could create high-quality and marketable products which meets the constantly changing demands of consumers.

For more than 15 years, Craft Link members have been to many remote villages to open training courses for locals. They went to Pa Co commune, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province to help the Mong people revive their dyeing technique on scarfs and wax decoration on fabric. They went to Ta Pin village, Sapa distict in Lao Cai province and helped to enhance hand embroidery patterns made by locals. They went to Nam Can commune, Ky Son district in Nghe An province to help restore the weaving and dyeing techniques of the Thai people.

General Manager of Craft Link Tran Tuyet Lan (centre) at an event advertising Craft Link’s products abroad. (Photo: Craft Link)

So far, Craft Link has successfully implemented 37 projects in numerous provinces throughout the country, supporting 70 artisan groups benefitting 6,000 people, most of whom are women from ethnic groups, such as the Mong, Dao, Thai, Ta Oi, Cham, Lo Lo, Nung and Khmer. The projects not only help them to restore their cultural crafts but also improve their income through Craft Link’s marketing and distribution channel. Their products, which were previously only sold in local markets in their living areas, now reach the global market with 79 per cent of finished products exported mostly to Europe, Africa and Australia./.

( Compiled by VNF )