Together, the craft villages tell the story of culture.

Accompanying and witnessing the resurgence of the craft village, Ms. Luong Thanh Hanh, Chairwoman of the Nam Cao Silk Cooperative and founder of the Hanhsilk brand, considers it a journey full of serendipity, a journey in which she is striving to tell a story of Vietnamese culture and heritage to a wide audience of friends both domestically and internationally.

Reporter:

Ms. Luong Thanh Hanh: My work wasn't originally related to silk weaving or traditional crafts, but by some twist of fate, I came to and became involved with this craft village, which is over 400 years old. That was in 2012. I remember those early days in Nam Cao; I was astonished to learn that such a long-standing traditional craft village now only has a few families practicing it. The more I learned, the more I listened to the women, the more heartbroken I felt. Many looms were left idle, even dismantled for firewood. When I asked more questions, the villagers didn't know who they sold their woven products to or what they were used for; they only knew that they had been weaving fabrics for years. When asked who the customers were, they only knew they sold to the foreman, and I heard that the foreman sold them to Laos and Thailand . Because the foreman no longer came to buy, the craft is fading away, not because the villagers themselves don't want to do it. As long as there are customers again, they will continue... In these conversations, I noticed that the women still have a passion for and cherish the craft. That's what inspired me and gave me the determination to work together with the villagers to revive the traditional craft village.

Ms. Luong Thanh Hanh, Head of the Nam Cao Silk Cooperative.

That year I was not yet 30 years old. Initially, people found it very strange that a young woman from the city had come here saying she wanted to revive the traditional craft. I went all over the village asking questions, even searching through the cow sheds for abandoned looms... Looking back now, the journey has been very difficult, but in return, I've been fortunate to always have the companionship and help of the villagers, and the moral support of the local government.

PV:

Ms. Luong Thanh Hanh: As I've shared, I'm simply someone who loves silk and cherishes the value of the Nam Cao silk weaving village; the knowledge and skills in the fields directly related to developing the village have almost all been learned and researched gradually. Therefore, I've encountered many difficulties. For example, from persuading the villagers to join the craft in the initial stages, to standardizing techniques, finding markets, and designing suitable product models... It must be added that Nam Cao silk, although it has existed for a very long time, did not produce refined products in the past. The villagers only wove rough fabrics. That was an important prerequisite, but for the market to recognize Nam Cao silk in particular, and Vietnamese silk in general, it was necessary to create finished products with design, creativity, and the integration of many stages.

Along with launching the Hanhsilk brand in 2012, in 2016, I, together with the artisans here, established the Nam Cao Silk Cooperative. Changes in thinking about products, especially creative design, production process standards, and product quality... have shaped and developed a wide range of different products. Currently, the Nam Cao Silk Cooperative has thousands of designs, from silk scarves; men's and women's clothing and accessories; face towels, bath towels; ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress)... to silk curtains, blankets, and custom-designed products... The people share that they never thought Nam Cao silk could develop into such artistic products and works, honored on fashion runways, cultural events, and diplomatic occasions both domestically and internationally.

PV:

Ms. Luong Thanh Hanh: There are many meaningful things, but I think the most important is the enthusiastic participation of the villagers themselves. Many artisans, undeterred by the hardships, accompanied me to numerous events and exhibitions both domestically and internationally to directly demonstrate the process of spinning and weaving silk in front of visitors. Nothing is more compelling and convincing than customers witnessing and experiencing the silk weaving process firsthand. After each such event, Nam Cao silk becomes more widely known. As for the villagers, nothing is more encouraging and motivating than seeing their work and products appreciated by visitors from all over the country. These artisans are living witnesses, carrying invaluable spiritual values ​​back to the village, showing the community that their traditional craft is still alive, still appreciated, and further strengthening their connection to the craft. I have witnessed elderly women over 90 years old still weaving. Some even came to the cooperative in the morning to deliver yarn and passed away peacefully in the afternoon. They remain dedicated to their ancestral craft until their dying day. While in the past, their elders thought silk weaving was only for the poor and those past their working age, now they understand it as a source of pride, a part of their culture, and their homeland. It is the villagers themselves who preserve and create the cultural heritage of the craft village, the legacies of the nation.

Tourists enthusiastically visit and experience the traditional silk weaving village of Nam Cao (Le Loi commune, Hung Yen province).

PV:

Ms. Luong Thanh Hanh: Currently, the Nam Cao Silk Weaving Cooperative has more than 50 direct employees, not including part-time workers. The entire Le Loi commune has over 300 households engaged in this craft. This has also led to the development of mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing, and fabric dyeing... Especially after the establishment of the cooperative, the development of silk weaving has attracted more businesses and households in the area to participate in this field. This is truly a welcome step forward for the Nam Cao silk weaving village in particular, and traditional handicrafts in general.

Silk weaving is suitable for all ages, especially women over 60, who can take advantage of the opportunity to earn extra income while preserving the traditional craft. Workers in the workshops earn between 7 and over 10 million VND per month. The cooperative is preparing to expand its scale, which will allow it to welcome more workers, especially female workers currently employed in industrial zones, back to their hometowns to continue the craft. I believe that if we can provide stable employment and good income for the people, they will be willing to choose to stay, return to their hometowns to work, and preserve the craft.

Along with improving the skills of the cooperative's young workforce, we continue to collaborate with young designers and artists in creating products that meet market demands; we also strengthen the organization of experiential activities for students, and craft village tours for domestic and international tourists to visit, participate in a stage of product making, and enjoy local products... thereby contributing to promoting the craft village, its products, and local tourism.

PV:

Ms. Luong Thanh Hanh: I think that in the current period, when culture is increasingly valued and people are increasingly inclined to return to natural and traditional values, the potential for handicrafts, especially silk, is enormous. It's an opportunity for craft villages, artisans, and those involved in the craft to tell their cultural stories. With perseverance, the participation of designers, the support of businesses, and the dedication of the craftspeople, traditional Vietnamese handicrafts will certainly have a bright future.

PV:

DUONG THU (compiled)