OCOP exhibition in Hanoi's pottery village connects tourism with handicraft products
The event is part of a broader series boosting tourism-oriented One Commune One Product (OCOP) development in the capital city.
THE HANOI TIMES — An ongoing exhibition introducing OCOP handicrafts and tourism-linked village products in Bat Trang Pottery Village offers visitors a vivid showcase of craftsmen’s creativity.
The three-day exhibition starting on December 19 features 80 booths and a typical product display area for traditional handicrafts from the local communities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hoang Minh Lam, Director of the Center for Industrial Promotion and Development Consultancy under the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, said that the exhibition aims to elevate the value of OCOP products, handicrafts and traditional craft villages.
Hoang Minh Lam, Director of the Center for Industrial Promotion and Development Consultancy under the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, makes opening speech for the exhibition. Photos: VGP
“The event is a space for connecting artisans, businesses, young designers and the startup community, largely affirming the OCOP brand of Hanoi, preserving traditional cultural values and expanding trade opportunities associated with sustainable tourism,” said Lam.
The exhibition also features craft demonstrations, showcasing production processes and providing opportunities for visitors to experience the cultural atmosphere of traditional craft villages and connect directly with producers.
“The event contributes to developing a production-consumption-promotion chain, targeting the tourism market, boosting the circular economy, while creating more jobs and increasing income for people in rural areas,” said the director.
For his part, Do Thanh Thuan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bat Trang Commune, said that the traditional craft village currently has more than 200 artisans and skilled craftsmen directly involved in creating and producing pottery handicrafts.
Bat Trang’s 70 products have been recognized as the OCOP ones, while the two villages in the commune as tourist destinations, including Bat Trang (2019) and Kim Lan (2024), which become important highlights in the cultural and craft village tourism route of the capital.
A visitor explore products displayed at the Bat Trang OCOP exhibition.
"In the coming time, the locality plans to carry out projects to preserve and develop traditional craft villages linked with tourism, build a commercial and cultural development zone, effectively exploiting the value of heritage, traditional crafts and distinctive agriculture," said Thuan.
Running until December 21, Bat Trang OCOP exhibition brings together handicrafts and characteristic products of rural industrial establishments, businesses and outstanding artisans from Hanoi and some other localities.
Bat Trang is a 700-year-old ancient village famous for its traditional pottery and unique cultural space, becoming an attractive destination on the Red River tourism route.
Tourists to Bat Trang can visit the pottery market and the Bat Trang Pottery Museum, experience the pottery production process at workshops and explore the local cultural life.
Bat Trang is among more than 1,350 handicraft villages in Hanoi, accounting for roughly one-quarter of the national total. These villages collectively generate over VND24 trillion (US$1 billion) annually, contributing significantly to the city’s GRDP.
The city’s master plan for the development of craft villages with a vision to 2050 has recently set the target to restore by 2030 at least five traditional crafts and craft villages that are at risk of disappearing.
