Traditional craft villages in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have revived their practices through innovative and adaptive thinking.
After struggling with chronically unstable income from weaving bamboo traps only sold in the flooding season, households in Hoa Long commune in Lai Vung district decided to make changes to their products to suit a new market.
Locals began producing miniature fishing equipment, such as bamboo mice or fishing traps, to sell as decorative objects or souvenirs. Village resident Nguyen Huu Tho said since then his products have become a hit with local and regional tourists.
The miniatures are produced at lower costs, due to the fewer materials required for their construction, but are sold at the same price as the standard-sized products and reap a good profit, according to Tho.
“I will spend some money on whittling and polishing machines to improve the attractiveness of the products”, he said, adding that there is increasing demand in the market for these kinds of products.
Similar successes have also been seen in the shawl-scarf weaving village at Long Khanh A commune in Hong Ngu district.
Previously, village residents could barely eke out a living selling plain bandana scarves, used in daily life.
But the failure to compete against similar products mass-produced in factories forced most families to close their businesses and switch to other livelihoods.
Nguyen Thi Kim Chieu, a resident in the village, learned about consumer tastes at local trade fairs and changed her strategy, producing fashionable scarves in various sizes and colours for both men and women, packaged in appealing boxes.
Chieu said that producing scarves for tourists not only helps her family business thrive but also preserves the village’s traditional weaving craft.
Based on these innovative successes, Ngo Quang Tuyen, Deputy Director of Dong Thap’s Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports, said the department plans to offer assistance to villages to similarly modify and adapt their products to the modern market.-VNA
After struggling with chronically unstable income from weaving bamboo traps only sold in the flooding season, households in Hoa Long commune in Lai Vung district decided to make changes to their products to suit a new market.
Locals began producing miniature fishing equipment, such as bamboo mice or fishing traps, to sell as decorative objects or souvenirs. Village resident Nguyen Huu Tho said since then his products have become a hit with local and regional tourists.
The miniatures are produced at lower costs, due to the fewer materials required for their construction, but are sold at the same price as the standard-sized products and reap a good profit, according to Tho.
“I will spend some money on whittling and polishing machines to improve the attractiveness of the products”, he said, adding that there is increasing demand in the market for these kinds of products.
Similar successes have also been seen in the shawl-scarf weaving village at Long Khanh A commune in Hong Ngu district.
Previously, village residents could barely eke out a living selling plain bandana scarves, used in daily life.
But the failure to compete against similar products mass-produced in factories forced most families to close their businesses and switch to other livelihoods.
Nguyen Thi Kim Chieu, a resident in the village, learned about consumer tastes at local trade fairs and changed her strategy, producing fashionable scarves in various sizes and colours for both men and women, packaged in appealing boxes.
Chieu said that producing scarves for tourists not only helps her family business thrive but also preserves the village’s traditional weaving craft.
Based on these innovative successes, Ngo Quang Tuyen, Deputy Director of Dong Thap’s Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports, said the department plans to offer assistance to villages to similarly modify and adapt their products to the modern market.-VNA
