Art program “Essence of Vietnamese Craft Villages”

Accordingly, the special art program titled “Essence of Vietnamese Craft Villages” directed by the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and organized by the Institute of Economics, Culture and Arts will gather famous artists and actors from professional art troupes and hundreds of extras who are artisans and skilled workers from Bat Trang Ceramics and Van Phuc Silk Villages. Besides the outstanding musical works praising “Vietnamese Spirit”, “Vietnamese Craft Village Aspiration”, “Sacred and pompous Hanoi”…, there are dance works “"Drying Silk on a Moonlit Night”, “Soul of Earth and Water” and “Uzbek national dance of Lazgi” from Uzbekistan. The highlight of the Art Program is the procession of the founders of Bat Trang Ceramics and Van Phuc Silk Weaving, along with the artistic scenes, historical documents, and cultural stories that are emotionally recreated, bringing the audience back to the memories of the journey of the quintessence of Vietnamese craft villages with the following main contents:

Vietnam - the sacred S-shaped strip of land on the shore of the majestic Pacific Ocean, with favorable weather all year round, people who love to work, value loyalty, are intelligent, creative and cherish peace. From those core values, it has forged the identity of a heroic nation, being always steadfast in the face of challenges throughout thousands of years of glorious history. With "Aspiration for Great Power", our ancestors have created springs of the Vietnamese land that are forever green, forever sustainable! So that today, in the atmosphere of Celebrating the Party, Celebrating Spring, international friends, tourists from all over the world, skilled craftsmen from all over the world gather in Thang Long - Hanoi, a thousand-year-old culture celebrating the country's steady steps into the strong rising-up era!

Hanoi is the land of hundreds of crafts, where the quintessence converges and talents from all over the world come together. With more than 1,350 craft villages and villages with crafts, Hanoi has many advantages to promote the cultural heritage of craft villages associated with the strategy of developing tourism and ecological agriculture to increase product value and develop sustainable economy for rural areas. Bat Trang Ceramics and Van Phuc Silk Weaving Villages, along with craft villages in the capital and the whole country, are making efforts to connect to the Global Creative Craft Cities Network, a practical activity to affirm the unique cultural and artistic values of Vietnam in the international arena.

After more than 1000 years of formation and development, Van Phuc Silk Weaving Village has been recognized by the Vietnam Record Book Center as the oldest silk weaving village, which is still in operation today. The village's Tutelary God has the merit of building the old Van Bao camp (now Van Phuc ward) since the 9th century, and has the merit of teaching the villagers the craft of growing mulberry, raising silkworms and weaving silk, making this land increasingly prosperous. The slender and cheerful girls carrying silk with skillful and diligent hands, together with the workers, have created the famous smooth Van Phuc silk, imbued with traditional Vietnamese culture, which was once a tribute to the kings of feudal dynasties, participated in the Paris Fair and was recognized by the French as the number-one product of Indochina. Today, Van Phuc silk products are exported to all continents. Mentioning Van Phuc Silk means mentioning unique cultural and artistic values, typical of the elegant beauty of Vietnamese women with the famous song "Whose figure walks in a thousand years of elegance/Which ao dai is not Ha Dong silk".

As one of the oldest traditional crafts of Thang Long - Hanoi with a thousand years of culture. When Ly Cong Uan chose Thang Long as his new capital, talented ceramic artisans from the ancient capital of Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) embarked on a journey to conquer the promising land along the Red River: "Upstream the Red River/Building Bach Tho Ward/Expanding the ancient ceramic brick craft/Following the old tradition of pen and ink/Thanks to the protection by the six tutelary gods/The lives of the people, a region got prosperous". Bat Trang ceramics were recorded in history as having developed brilliantly since the 14th century and entered the Vietnamese land's reputation with the folk song: "I wish I could marry her/So I could buy Bat Trang bricks to build/Build vertically and then horizontally/Build a crescent-shaped pond for her to wash her feet".

Today, pottery is one of the cultural identities, reflecting the cultural diversity of the community practicing pottery in Bat Trang village: "Bat Trang pottery is beautiful and sublime/Bat Trang people are intelligent and talented/Thousand years of glorious victory/Thousands of miles of brilliant success". Not only is it a unique national intangible cultural heritage, the Bat Trang ceramic brand has affirmed its position and potential in the process of development and international integration of the nation. Bat Trang pottery has been exported to all continents in the world and has become an ambassador spreading the quintessence of Vietnamese culture in the international arena.

The flow of Vietnamese culture is always associated with traditional Vietnamese craft villages. The procession of the craft founders has become a fine tradition in Vietnamese craft villages, expressing gratitude to the ancestors who have contributed to founding and expanding the knowledge of the profession for the villagers. Along with that is the demonstration of the strength of craft villages, the history and culture of craft villages, the economic potential of traditional craft villages. At the same time, it encourages craft villages with pride in their craft ancestors, wishing for a peaceful and happy new year. The craft-ancestor procession of Bat Trang Ceramics and Van Phuc Silk Weaving in the Spring of At Ty 2025 has a special meaning when the two oldest craft villages of the thousand-year-old capital Hanoi have been officially recognized by the World Craft Council as members of the Global Creative Craft Cities Network.

Therefore, in the ceremony of welcoming the founders, the master of ceremonies, on behalf of the two craft villages of Bat Trang Ceramics and Van Phuc Silk Weaving, announce the congratulatory speech to inform the ancestors with the content: “Today, the World Craft Council, the People's Committee of Hanoi City, the Organizing Committee of the Ceremony to welcome and honor Bat Trang Ceramics and Van Phuc Silk Weaving villages of Hanoi Capital as members of the Global Creative Craft Cities Network, together with skilled artisans at home and abroad, guests from all over the world, international friends from all over the world, carefully carved with humanity, the finished lanterns presented to the ancestors... The country is prosperous, reaching out to the world. The people are happy and prosperous. A thousand years of happiness, longevity and prosperity thanks to the merits of the ancestors, opening up careers for their descendants to be forever glorious... Today, heaven and earth are in harmony, everywhere gather, the descendants vow: Cultural heritage, following the ancestors' legacy, preserving forever. Connecting trade, inspiring creativity. Renaissance culture, honoring craft villages. Enlightening the ancestors' merits. Gathering from all directions, children and grandchildren remember the source of water they drink. Remembering the Party's will and the people's heart, the ancestors' achievements, immense gratitude, opening craft village festivals, honoring their achievements. The World Craft Council honors Bat Trang Ceramics Village, Van Phuc Silk Weaving Village of Hanoi as members of the Global Creative Craft Cities Network... Spring At Ty 2025, respectfully worship... respectfully report... so respectfully report!".

In the rising-up era of the nation, Vietnam always affirms its commitment to be a friend, a reliable partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community. Our Party and State always pay due attention to promoting the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage values of craft villages, taking care to improve the material and spiritual life of the people. The recognition of two craft villages: Bat Trang Ceramics and Van Phuc Silk Weaving by the World Craft Council as members of the Global Creative Craft Cities Network is a good opportunity to connect and disseminate the cultural heritage values of Vietnam, at the same time demonstrating Vietnam's commitment to actively contributing to peace, friendship, common progress and prosperity of humanity.