*Vạn Phúc silk village on verge of being global Creative Cities Network member

The International Jury of the World Crafts Council and local delegates study details about Vạn Phúc silk weaving village. Photos of Hà Nội Rural Development Department

HÀ NỘI — The International Jury of the World Crafts Council (WCC) has recently conducted a survey and evaluation to recognise Hà Nội's Vạn Phúc silk weaving village in Vạn Phúc Ward, Hà Đông District a member of the global Creative Cities Network.

The board included the President of the WCC Asia Pacific Region, Aziz Murtazaev, Vice Chairman of the Crafts Council for Southeast Asia and Nadia Meer, Vice Chairman of the Crafts Council for the Africa region.

The jury members visit Vạn Phúc's weaving shops and factories during their trip to the village.

At Vạn Phúc, the jury was given an overview introduction about the craft village. They went on a field trip at the Vạn Phúc Silk Conservation and Development Centre before visiting and working at Vụn ART Cooperative, Triệu Văn Mão Silk Weaving Factory and Vạn Phúc Silk Joint Stock Company, as well as meeting the weavers and artisans of the village.

The jury highly appreciated the unique values ​​of Vạn Phúc Village, especially its rich culture and history of development over centuries and its prominence in the field of handloom weaving.

The jury delegates make a village tour to learn about the cultural, historical, economic values of Vạn Phúc.

They praised the workers in the hand loom areas, especially the weaving textile design and pattern making. However, they suggested that to advance further in the global Creative Cities Network, the village needed to build a craft museum, which would store valuable documents related to the history of formation and development and at the same time honour the outstanding artisans.

The jury praised the local artisans for skillfully applying technology to the manual designing process. Đỗ Văn Hiển's designs and creations were typical examples, his invention of digital brocade cards significantly brought benefits to local artisans.

The WCC experts research Vạn Phúc's weaving patterns, designs and handloom technique.

The village needed support to have specialised training programmes to hand on traditional weaving skills to the younger generations. During these 70 types of weaving design patterns should be recorded in publications and carefully train for artisans. These efforts would ensure the sustainability of the craft village while attracting new talents taking part in this field.

According to the jury, Vạn Phúc should expand its international exchanges and cooperation as well as build a complete craft village ecosystem with a view to promote its great potential. It was necessary to establish stronger policies to support artisans and organise international fairs during the framework of the Vạn Phúc Craft Village Festival.

The jury talk with local artisans to know clearly about Vạn Phúc's silk weaving formation and development.

The WCC was ready to support Hà Nội in connecting with other members of the global Creative Cities Network to promote Vạn Phúc silk in Western fashion shows and through collections of famous designers.

Vạn Phúc is one of the most famous silk weaving villages in Việt Nam and has a tradition lasting more than a thousand years.

The jury visit different workshops and factories in the village including the Vụn ART Cooperative.

It was granted a certificate of 'Vạn Phúc Traditional Silk Weaving Village' in 2001 and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism placed Vạn Phúc's silk weaving craft on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2023.

The jury pays much attention to Vạn Phúc's weaving traditions and arts and give out suggestions to help the village integrate into the international arena.

Being a member of the global Creative Cities Network will be a great opportunity for Vạn Phúc to bring into play its potential, to strongly promote its unique values, sustainably develop its traditions and arts and create products that reach international standards and widely spread the quintessence and identity of the Vietnamese soul. VNS

*This article is coordinated by Hà Nội Rural Development Department.