Da Nang: Tourism brings traditional craft villages to the world

“On-site export” of traditional handicrafts

Hoi An ward (Da Nang city) is renowned not only for its ancient town, a World Heritage Site, but also for its dozens of traditional craft villages such as Kim Bong carpentry, Kim Bong mat weaving, and Thanh Ha pottery. The combination of heritage values and traditional crafts creates a unique charm for this land.

With over 36 years of experience, artisan Huynh Phuong Do (Hoi An ward) has transformed simple bamboo roots into unique works of art, enriching the cultural identity of Hoi An ancient town.

He shared that his biggest advantage lies in practicing his craft right within a famous tourist area, allowing him to bring his products directly to both domestic and international visitors. For this reason, he has proactively learned foreign languages to facilitate communication, considering it a form of “on-site export” for his handicraft products.

However, bamboo root sculpture faces many challenges. It is a craft that requires patience, skill, and creativity, making it difficult to find successors.

Over the course of more than three decades, he has trained approximately 70 people, of whom around 10 remain dedicated to the craft. Most of his products are sold in Hoi An Ancient Town, providing him with a stable income.

Driven by the desire to pass on his craft, he hopes the younger generation will continue and innovate, creating new value and turning bamboo root sculpture into a unique traditional craft that spreads widely on Viet Nam’s cultural tourism map.

“It’s necessary to combine handicrafts with tourism and make good use of social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok for promotion. From small, affordable souvenirs for tourists to high-end artworks, all help bring bamboo root art closer to the public,” Do said.

Not only Hoi An, but the Non Nuoc stone carving village (Ngu Hanh Son ward) is also a popular destination for visitors to Da Nang. Formed over 400 years ago, the village was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2014. Currently, Non Nuoc has one People’s Artisan, three Excellent Artisans, four recognized artisans, and over 1,250 workers across 384 production establishments. Each year, the total value of goods reaches about VND 372 billion.

Along with tourism development, Non Nuoc artisans continually refine their techniques, diversify their designs, and create high-artistic-value products that cater to the needs of both domestic and international tourists. With their skillful hands, lifeless stone blocks are transformed into symbols of craftsmanship, helping to spread Da Nang’s cultural identity worldwide.

Orienting toward tourism gifts

According to Tran Nam Hung, Vice Chairman of Da Nang People’s Committee, as the economic, cultural, and tourism hub of the Central – Central Highlands region, Da Nang has great potential for developing rural trades and craft villages. The city currently has 30 craft villages and 17 traditional crafts that remain active, closely linked to the local history and cultural life.

Many craft villages have become distinct cultural brands of the city, such as Non Nuoc stone carving, Phuoc Kieu bronze casting, Thanh Ha pottery, Tra Que vegetables, and Cua Khe fish sauce. These villages not only provide stable livelihoods but also preserve cultural identity while attracting many domestic and international visitors.

However, Hung acknowledged that value chain linkage among craft villages remains weak, especially in integrating cultural values with tourism development. Trade promotion, digital transformation, and e-commerce activities are still limited; many handicraft and OCOP products are mainly consumed locally, without strong access to international markets.

According to Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), the merger of Da Nang and Quang Nam opens up new opportunities and potential for the development of handicrafts and OCOP products. He noted that the former Quang Nam area already has many recognized traditional craft villages and products, an important advantage for Da Nang to develop into a central hub for the production, exhibition, and export of craft village products in the Central region.

Tien emphasized that to effectively exploit this potential, there must be inter-sectoral coordination, particularly among the trade, culture, and tourism sectors. As a key tourism destination that regularly hosts festivals and cultural events, Da Nang can combine trade promotion for handicrafts and OCOP products with tourism and festival activities, creating added value and strongly promoting the city’s image.

“The development direction for Da Nang’s handicraft sector should focus on tourism gift products, compact, easy to buy, and easy to carry. This is a direction suited to the city’s strengths, helping to enhance promotion and creating an ‘on-site export’ channel through international tourists,” Tien said.

* $1 = VND 26.386 - Source: Vietcombank.