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The brocade making in Ha Ri village, Vinh Thanh District. Photo N.T |
Below are some main features of Binh Dinh’s craft villages and solutions to preserve and develop them in the future.
* Some main features
Craft villages in Binh Dinh haven’t fully developed. Statistics showed that Binh Dinh has 46 craft villages, but they haven’t been systematically organized and their products haven’t met the customers’ taste. Also, there aren’t enough skilled laborers, let alone the issue of markets.
Binh Dinh’s craft villages specialize in many products, including agricultural, aquatic, forest, fine arts, construction material, and other consumer goods. These don’t, however, equally locate on the whole province. At present, there are nearly 10,000 households in craft villages with over 46,000 laborers. The production value accounts for 3 percent, comparing with the industrial production value of the whole province.
After Vietnam integrated into WTO, Binh Dinh’s craft villages have to face many difficulties besides some advantages. They mainly produce agricultural, forest, aquatic, and sea products and handicrafts, but due to the limited technology, they can hardly have the competitiveness on the international markets. Also, the hardest challenge is the stability of the markets and their extension to ensure a stable income for laborers in rural areas.
* Preservation and development
Alongside policies to encourage the development of craft villages, it’s necessary to build practical programs, such as the establishment of craft village information center, a full development program, the preservation of traditional value, a system to develop models, and a program to build the infrastructure and improve the environment.
To preserve and develop craft villages, Binh Dinh Province People’s Committee approved the project on developing craft villages in Binh Dinh to 2010. Under the project, the development of craft villages must be compatible with the socio-economic development and the project on developing industry and small-scaled industry.
It also requires the preservation of the national cultural value. Developing craft villages must be related to the industrialization and modernization process in agriculture and rural areas and the environmental protection, ensuring the effective and sustainable development. Developing craft villages must create jobs for people, contribute to the rural economic structure, and improve the living standard for rural people.
* Solutions for the development
Craft villages play an important role in the socio-economic development strategy in localities. They not only contribute to transfer the economic structure with the direction of industrialization and modernization in agriculture and rural areas but preserve their unique cultural values. Tangible and intangible value of traditional craft villages was maintained from generation to generation.
For the effective and sustainable development, it needs to have synchronous solutions including the planning, the technical support, the environmental protection, the rural infrastructure development, the vocational training, and the support for trade promotion.
Accordingly, provincial People’s Committee has promulgated regulations on recognizing craft villages, helping localities to establish craft villages. Policies to encourage the development of craft villages were also promulgated. Financial support for the training, new crafts, and the development of skilled laborers in rural and mountainous areas was approved through the annual programs.
Binh Dinh was also concerned of developing the rural infrastructure, upgrading the electronic system in rural areas, and creating the most favorable conditions for the development of craft villages.
Craft villages need to focus on products which have the high competitiveness and extend their production. The advanced management and solutions to improve the quality, diversify products, and reduce the price should be applied. The human resource training, the cooperation to attract the investment capital and advanced technologies and share experiences must be furthered. Businesses have to closely connect with each other to improve the competitiveness and protect the stable development.
* Craft Village Festival
The craft village festival taking place from July 27 to August 3 is one of key festivities in Tay Son-Binh Dinh Festival 2008. It is expected to show Binh Dinh’s unique culture through the performance of some typical traditional crafts. Handicrafts will be displayed on the occasion of the festival.
Also, a food and drink program will take place in this festival. It aims to introduce specialties in Binh Dinh and other provinces in the Central region and Central Highlands.
The festival aims to advertise traditional handicrafts to attract domestic and foreign tourists to visit, sign contracts as well as share experiences. This is expected to be one of opportunities for businesses and craft villages to learn experiences, seek investment opportunities, and cooperate for the trade promotion.
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