The Provincial People’s Committees of Bac Ninh Province have approved a 60-billion VND project to fuel the tourism potential of this region. This project focuses on developing sustainable tourism experiences centered around traditional craft villages like pottery and folk painting. Challenges include improving promotion and visitor engagement, but the initiative has the potential to benefit both the local economy and cultural preservation.
About Bắc Ninh
Bắc Ninh, a province familiar and exotic to Vietnamese people, has long been associated with the phrase “multi-cultivation, multi-occupation.” Today, from a tourism perspective, Bắc Ninh’s craft villages are asserting their potential to contribute to the nation’s tourism industry, offering a diverse range of experiences that go beyond traditional agricultural villages to encompass renowned traditional handicrafts. These villages represent invaluable material assets and cultural heritage, shaping the unique cultural identity of Bắc Ninh and Vietnam as a whole.
A Rich Tapestry of Crafts
Currently, the province boasts 65 craft villages, including 41 traditional and 24 newly established ones. The production activities of these villages are remarkably distinct, catering to various economic sectors, from producing agricultural products and food to preparing local specialties and crafting tools, household utensils, and high-value artistic products.
Several traditional craft villages in Bắc Ninh have gained nationwide recognition and become synonymous with the region, attracting tourists with their appealing characteristics. These include:
- Phù Lãng Pottery Village (Quế Võ)
- Đông Hồ Folk Painting Village (Thuận Thành)
- Đồng Kỵ and Phù Khê Woodcarving Villages (Từ Sơn)
- Đại Bái Copper Casting Village
- Xuân Lai Bamboo Weaving Village (Gia Bình)
- Tam Tảo Quan họ Village (Tiên Du)
OCOP Tourism Project To Unlock Tourism Potential
Despite its rich cultural and historical background, research suggests that Bắc Ninh’s craft villages may unlock their ability in attracting a significant number of tourists. This can be attributed to factors such as limited promotion strategies, comprehensive tourism packages, and effective collaboration between travel agencies and the region’s villages. To transform Bắc Ninh into a cultural hub that leaves a memorable impression on visitors, various initiatives have been implemented to achieve this goal.
In early May, the Provincial People’s Committee approved the “Pilot Project for Building OCOP Tourism Products in Bắc Ninh Province for the 2023-2025 Period” with a total budget of over 60 billion VND. The project aims to exploit the potential and advantages of agricultural tourism resources, craft villages, traditional craft villages, and the system of cultural heritages of Bac Ninh province to form tourist-oriented tourism products. Green, responsible, sustainable tourism, bearing the unique cultural identity of the people of Bac Ninh – Kinh Bac, attracts tourists to visit, enjoy and observe passionately about the regional identity, thereby building the impressive images of a colorful Bac Ninh.
Under the project, Phù Lãng Pottery Village and Đông Hồ Painting Village have been identified as two of the three pilot OCOP tourism products in the province. With over 700 years of existence and development, Phù Lãng Pottery Village possesses the conditions and potential to flourish as a destination for exploring the essence of craft villages, enhancing the cultural and historical value of its products. A significant challenge for households carrying on this tradition is effectively immersing the historical value and cultural stories through the tourism products they create.
Đông Hồ Painting Village, with its centuries-old history of producing unique folk paintings, presents a rich resource for developing a community tourism destination under OCOP criteria. Combining cultural and spiritual tourism tours with craft village visits is considered an appropriate model. In recent years, Đông Hồ Painting Village has witnessed a relatively high number of visitors, averaging around 10,000 per year, of whom 10% are international tourists. However, visiting and experiencing the craft of painting has not yet generated significant profits for the community, as it has not attracted guests to stay for extended periods and engage in art sales.
Prioritize Cultural Immersion – Preserve Heritage – Embracing the Future
The desire to explore and experience intangible cultural aspects should be given greater priority in tourists’ itineraries when visiting this region. Therefore, tourism product design should emphasize the harmony between the essence, imagery, and cultural values expressed through handicrafts, cuisine, and other elements.
In the context of global integration, long-standing traditional craft villages like Phù Lãng Pottery and Đông Hồ Painting represent Bắc Ninh’s “exclusive brand” values, affirming its unique and irreplaceable identity. Along with honoring village culture, promoting craft village products, stimulating the development of tourism infrastructure, protecting the craft village landscape in the face of rapid urbanization, and showcasing the image and cultural values of Bắc Ninh, the OCOP tourism product development project will benefit from the unwavering commitment of individual households, tourism businesses, and relevant agencies.
Australian Hospitality Alumni Network Vietnam 