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Village upgrades needed
Although the tourist trade helps preserve craft villages, the surrounding environment, facilities and even the goods for sale often fall far short of the standards expected by many visitors.
This is hindering Government efforts to promote traditional craft tourism to help boost incomes in rural areas – and thus the national economy.
According to statistics from the Ha Noi Industry and Trade Department, the total number of trade villages within easy visiting distance of the capital is now 1,264. There are 84 in the old Ha Noi city region and 1,180 in the expanded city, which takes in Ha Tay Province.
However, of these, only about 100 villages across 30 communes have become popular destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.
They include Bat Trang pottery village on the Red River close to Ha Noi.
Franke Mueller, a German who has lived in Ha Noi for three years, said some craft households had imported and displayed cheap Chinese pottery along with local hand-made products.
"I don’t think they are cheating customers. Some households purchase imported products to ensure their shops are filled with different types of wares, and also because of the low prices of the Chinese products," said Nhat Lai, a craftsman at Bat Trang Village.
Hygiene
After six years of taking tourists to trade villages, tour guide Nguyen Chi Hung still shakes his head when foreign guests ask if there are cleaner toilets.
"It’s almost impossible to find standard public toilets in traditional craft villages," said Hung. "Most tourists complain about the sanitation and polluted environment, which makes a bad impression as soon as they arrive at a village."
Hung said he had witnessed many campaigns held by local authorities and residents to keep the surrounding environment clean. However, any improvements usually only lasted for a few months.
"Foreign tourists usually only spend 15 minutes passing by. Maybe trade villages need a comprehensive solution to get tourists to stay longer," he said.
Dang Kim Chi, vice chairman of the Institute of Science, Technology and Environment, said most trade villages used charcoal as a major energy source, resulting in contaminated air.
He also criticised local sewage networks, saying that they were either full of chemicals or were so degraded they helped spread bacteria.
According to the institute, all waste run-off that has been tested has contamination that exceeds accepted Vietnamese health standards. Waste water and chemicals flow directly into nearby rivers and lakes.
A resident of Xuan Dinh Village, Phuong, said craft households usually showed tourists only their finished products, such as traditional moon cakes. They also preferred not to show visitors around.
"If tourists looked through their workshops, at their tools and materials, it’s likely they would refuse to taste those moon cakes," said Phuong.
Another complaint is that services to introduce visitors to local customs and traditional products are often limited.
"Most tourists want to join in making traditional products – even making their own products. However, only Bat Trang pottery village has managed to provide this service successfully," said Hung.
Nguyen Thi Duong, an artisan who makes conical palm hats in Chuong Village, said not many households spent time introducing tourists to the production process.
"They just do their job and let tourists discover the village for themselves," he said.
According to statistics provided by Viet Nam Dragon Tourism Company in Ha Noi, almost 70 per cent of tourists have no special interest in trade villages, their services and products. And only 25 per cent are interested in hand-made products.
Vu Huong Giang, who is studying abroad, said trade villages in neighbouring countries attracted tourists due to their clean environment, good services and fun festivals.
"It is exciting to visit trade villages in Thailand and Indonesia because the culture seems so natural and not forced," said Giang. "Residents in traditional costumes make products – and guides help visitors make their own products."
Annual festival
An annual festival of craft villages is considered one way of preserving and developing handicrafts and promoting trade villages.
Truong Minh Tien, vice-director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the tourism sector would get help from international tourism consultants to improve services in trade villages.
He said courses on trade villages and their products would be held for tour guides and local residents to improve the quality of tourism staff.
"More support from municipal authorities is needed to build up facilities, expand production into industrial zones and to get financial assistance from the State to solve environment pollution," said Tien.
VNS
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