On November 18th (from 9 am till 4:30 pm) you can attend one of Hanoi’s most interesting cultural events: CRAFT LINK’s HANDICRAFT BAZAAR.
Ethnic minority people from all over Vietnam will come to sell products which utilize their traditional skills. Selected artisans from around Hanoi and disadvantaged groups will also present their products as well.
It aims to preserve traditional culture, help handicraft producers increase their income and develop a sustainable value chain through finding more markets for their products and to improve people’s awareness of cultural and economic values of Vietnamese traditional handicrafts.
The bazaar is an event all artisans look forward to and carefully prepare for Hanoi residents as well as tourists find the November bazaar an ideal place to shop for Christmas.
Each ticket will cost VND 40,000 (USD 1.8) with museum entrance fee included.
The event has been organized by Craft Link, a Hanoi-based nonprofit organisation which helps traditional handicraft producers to revive their culture and improve their livelihoods through production and marketing.
The establishment of Craft Link was initiated by Tran Tuyet Lan and other Vietnamese youngsters, who held that economic development has benefited many people but also left many others behind.
Craft Link was established to support and organise necessary skills and information for the targeted groups so that they could create high-quality and marketable products which meets the constantly changing demands of consumers. For more than 15 years, Craft Link members have been to many remote villages to open training courses for locals.
About 10 per cent of the population of Vietnam is comprised of ethnic hill tribe peoples. Living in rural hilly and mountainous areas, the hill tribes have little access to markets. Craft Link gives preference to producers who are marginalized or disadvantaged, such as ethnic minority people in remote areas, street children, and people with disabilities. Craft Link is committed to the principles of fair trade, investing in artisans' social welfare and guaranteeing fair wages, worker safety, and care for the environment.
Working closely with the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi, Craft Link helps preserve traditional craft skills like the weaving and embroidery of the tribal groups, puppet making, and traditional ceramics./.