Hanoi's Bat Trang pottery trade village.

Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Dai said that products of Hanoi’s trade villages are available in over 40 countries and territories.

Hanoi brings together 47 occupations out of 52 traditional occupations in the country. The capital has 322 craft villages, of which 69 craft villages process and preserve agricultural, forestry and aquatic products, 22 produce handicrafts, 197 produce wooden furniture, rattan, ceramics, glass, textiles, yarn, embroidery, wickerwork, and small mechanics. It is also home to 13 villages producing and trading ornamental figures, 16 processing raw materials to serve rural production and trades, and five providing services for production and daily activities of people in rural areas.

According to reports of localities, the total revenue of craft villages and villages with certain trades reaches over 22 trillion VND (888.4 million USD) a year.

In recent years, craft villages have seen growth in both production and export values, with some recording revenue of more than 1 trillion VND a year.

Barbara Ebbli, founder and designer of Italy’s MALAIKA Company, appreciated products of Hanoi craft villages, especially handicrafts, embroidery, and weaving.

As a company specialising in design, MALAIKA hopes to be able, in conjunction with the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, to build a system to introduce Vietnamese craft village products in Italy and some other countries, she added.

To develop production, improve competitiveness, and increase the value of craft village products, Hanoi issued Resolution No.11/2019/NQ-HDND, dated December 4, 2019, on a number of policies to encourage the development of rural industries and craft villages in Hanoi, and Plan No. 67/KH-UBND, dated March 3, 2022, on preserving and developing craft villages and rural industries in the city in the 2022-2025 period.

In 2022, Hanoi issued a plan to pilot six models of rural and craft village tourism in Thuong Tin, Dan Phuong, Thanh Tri, My Duc, Thach That districts and Son Tay township.

The city is also completing the planning to preserve and develop traditional craft villages combined with tourism for two craft villages, including Van Phuc silk weaving in Ha Dong district and Bat Trang ceramics in Gia Lam district. As planned, it will develop nine creative design centres, to introduce, promote and sell craft village products associated with tourism.

The municipal People’s Committee has agreed on the policy of building a project to develop craft villages for the 2024 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, which will assess the current situation of local craft villages, set goals, and outline solutions for sustainable and appropriate the villages' development, compatible with the capital city's general socioeconomic development planning.