Traditional craft villages in Chuong My district have invested heavily in modern machinery and equipment for production, thereby contributing to improving the value and quality of products as well as income for local people.
Handicrafts and furniture made of bamboo and rattan at Ngoc Son Handicraft and Furniture Company, Chuong My district, Hanoi
Chuong My has the most craft villages in Hanoi city, with 175 craft villages and traditional craft villages. Phu Yen village in Truong Yen commune, also known as Buong village, is a typical craft village. Besides farming, local people also make traditional crafts such as rice noodle making and carpentry. Thanks to the creativity and exquisite workmanship of many generations of locals, through time, local people have held secrets behind many traditional crafts. Thereby, the village gradually built up its reputation and became widely known as “Buong noodle village” or “Buong carpentry village”.
The carpentry of Phu Yen village has existed for hundreds of years. Many of the local artisans are highly skilled. Up to now, the whole village has nearly 400 households doing carpentry, accounting for about 50% of the total number of households, of which the number of carpentry workers is about 600. The whole village has about 50 large-scale production workshops and over 100 home-based production facilities. Phu Yen’s carpentry products have been marketed in many cities and provinces across the country. The village has many unique products such as wooden old-style houses, sacred objects and household furniture which bear the mark of local carpenters in the past and today. In 2016, Phu Yen village was recognized by the Ha Noi City People’s Committee as a “Traditional carpentry village”.
Mr. Nguyen Chi Tai, Chairman of the Phu Yen Traditional Carpentry Village Association, shared: Carpentry is a hereditary occupation in Phu Yen village. Many years ago, in many rural areas, the traditional wooden houses of the Northern Delta people gradually disappeared to give space to reinforced concrete high-rise buildings. Recently, there is an increase in demand for wooden old-style houses because of their natural beauty and environmental friendliness. Since then, hundreds of households in the village have had the opportunity to promote their traditional occupation.
In order to improve production capacity and product quality to attract more customers, the owners of carpentry workshops have spent billions of VND to purchase machinery and equipment. The following generations of craftsmen have worked hard to ensure the products are both aesthetically pleasing and meet the quality requirements. Therefore, all stages of production are carried out meticulously to produce wooden products which bear the traditional mark of the village but still match the architecture of many different types of spaces, Mr. Nguyen Chi Tai said.
When coming to traditional wooden houses, one must definitely mention the craftsmen in Phu Yen village. This place has become a favorite destination for customers who want to build old-style houses with prices ranging from a few hundred million to several billion VND. The village is not only famous for building old-style houses, but is also known to everyone as a place to produce wooden sacred objects and household furniture with sophisticated designs and high quality.
Vice Chairman of Truong Yen Commune People’s Committee Bui Van Tung shared that the development of carpentry has brought income to local people. In order to preserve and develop the local traditional carpentry, production households in Phu Yen village need to raise their awareness of occupational safety and hygiene, as well as invest in modern and advanced equipment to contribute to reducing environmental pollution to the lowest level. In addition, Phu Yen carpentry village hopes that a centralized production area will be planned soon to facilitate the expansion of factory premises, solve environmental pollution and ensure traffic safety in residential areas.
In fact, the rational use of modern machines in production, along with the creativity of artisans, has helped craft villages in Chuong My preserve and develop their traditional identities. Simultaneously, the application of science and technology also helps boost production in the craft villages, thereby improving the productivity and income of local craftsmen. As a result, many craft villages have been more prosperous.
Source: Vietnam Business Forum
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