Effort to Keep Essence of National Traditions

Ha Thai lacquerware, from Duyen Thai commune in Thuong Tin district, is a renowned craft village in Hanoi, known for its decorative products and souvenirs. In recent years, many producers have joined the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, earning 3-star and 4-star certifications.

Ha Thai lacquer products are distinguished by their use of natural materials and patterns inspired by traditional culture

Ha Thai lacquerware village was formerly the Cu Trang lacquerware and gold-plating ward, which existed from around the 17th century. At that time, the village only had the lacquering profession, which was highly regarded because it had a lot of talented and skillful artisans. Because it specialized in making products for aristocrats and mandarins, this place was then called the "king-offering" craft village.

Artisan Vu Huy Men said: “In the past, lacquer mainly served spiritual activities or the lives of the aristocracy. The lacquering technique was a traditional cultural feature of the nation. Later, in 1927, an elderly Ha Thai villager, Dinh Van Thanh, who was working at the Indochina College of Fine Arts, made very important improvements in painting and lacquering, paving the way for lacquer painting techniques and creating the premise for other techniques such as eggshell attachment, embossed lacquer, silver plating and gold plating to generate more beautiful effects for lacquer. However, no matter what is added, the core of the lacquering technique is the application of Vietnamese paint. After the product is painted, it is put in the drying chamber and then polished. It takes about 12 coats of paint to get the ‘core’. This is the traditional standard process of Ha Thai lacquer.”

Ha Thai lacquer products stand out for using natural materials and patterns rooted in traditional culture, such as river life, banyan trees, lotus flowers and the One Pillar Pagoda. They are also known for their unique hand-lacquering technique.

Through the skillful hands of talented craftspeople, the natural beauty of our country is illustrated vividly and attractively while still retaining the charm and tenderness of the Vietnamese countryside.

Ha Thai lacquer village now has around 70% of households involved in the craft, producing gifts, interior decorations and spiritual items for both domestic and international markets. Product quality is measured by customer satisfaction and the value of orders.

The artist will use eggshells to create different shades for the painting

In addition to traditional products, Ha Thai villagers also create many attractive product models to meet different tastes and needs of domestic and foreign customers such as bowls, plates, vases, trays, paintings and mosaics. Besides popular materials like wood and paper that have been used for a long time as the core of shaping and patterning, other materials such as bamboo, composite and ceramics have been commonly used to create more complex and unique shapes of products in recent years. While inheriting the traditional experience handed over by their ancestors, artisans in the village have invented many new colors with many different shades.

In recent years, many producers in the craft village have registered to participate in OCOP Program and got 3-star and 4-star certified rankings. The 4-star typical OCOP products recognized by the Hanoi People's Committee are lacquer boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl and lacquer boxes inlaid with horns made by An Huy Lacquer.

The 4-star OCOP-certified products help the company expand its domestic and international markets. With an annual revenue of nearly VND5 billion, employees earn a stable income of VND5-6 million per month. In the final months of the year, orders typically increase by 60% due to higher demand during public holidays and Tet, ensuring the company’s confidence in its production and sales plans.

Do Van Hung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Duyen Thai Commune, said: To promote the resources of craft villages, many producers have participated in the evaluation and classification stage of the OCOP Program. In particular, An Huy Production and Trading Service Joint Stock Company has two 4-star OCOP products which are being upgraded to a 5-star class. With many 3-star and 4-star OCOP-certified products and the village recognized by the Hanoi People's Committee as a tourist destination of Hanoi, Ha Thai is gradually promoting its resources for local socioeconomic development.

By Bao Dan, Vietnam Business Forum

The page is coordinated by the Hanoi Office of the Coordination of the New Rural Development Program