Detailed Information on 9 sample villages and Evaluation

Strengths:

• History and Tradition: 300 years
• 8 artisan craftsmen with 11 generations experience and many interesting personal stories.
• Village atmosphere is very calm, traditional with interesting architectural design. The houses of the craftsman are very traditional with stone walls, gardens, etc.
• Good location (30 minutes by car from Hanoi).
• Infrastructure: good roads: there are also some restaurants nearby.
• Local community is organized well.
• Local government collaborates with local community very well. They have a concrete master plan.
• Diversity of the products is very good; many kinds of daily goods, arts etc.
• They preserve the traditional handicraft production process.
• Strong vision and spirit of the community development.
• Excellent distribution channels; export products to Japan through the local private company.
• Their business creates employment for many families and external villagers; 85 percent of the villagers are involved in the bamboo and rattan products business.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of product uniqueness.
• Lack of marketing information.
• Seasonal labour supply; less labour supply during the harvest season.

Opportunities:

• There are opportunities to increase sales of bamboo and rattan products within the domestic market.
• There are opportunities to increase sales of bamboo and rattan products to foreign tourists.
• There are opportunities to increase exports, especially to Japan.
• Regional relevance: Bamboo and rattan products are also produced in other neighbouring countries (e.g. Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, etc.) so there is an opportunity to use the Phu Vinh village experience as a model for neighbouring countries.

Threats

• Competition with the other provinces and countries.
• Lack of raw materials.
• They have a water pollution problem.

Strengths:

• 300 years of history / tradition.
• Next to the tourism destination of Tam Coc Bich Dong (locally referred to as the "Halong Bay in-land").
• Village atmosphere is good with interesting architectural design.
• One village craftsman displays other village craft products in his home (e.g. Bat Trang tea set, Lacquer furniture, Dong Ho paintings, plus a stone carving from Ninh Van village).
• Good organization with good management in the village; successful private company with 50 labours.
• High quality of the products; diversity of products with good design and patterns.
• Product Size and weight: Easy for tourists to purchase and transport the product as it is easy to carry / pack in their suitcase. (not fragile)
• Traditional method of production, embroidery is done by hand.
• Good marketing channels; distribution outlet in Ho Chi Minh City.
• There is a web site about their products.
• Their business creates employment for many villagers; many villagers are involved in embroidery production.
• Local community has a good future plan;

Weaknesses:

• Lack of finance to expand their business.
• There is no training center.

Opportunities:

• There are opportunities to increase sales of embroidery products within the domestic market, including domestic tourists who visit the tourism destination of Tam Coc Bich Dong.
• There are opportunities to increase sales to the foreign tourist segment and export markets (especially Germany and Japan).
• Regional Relevance is quite good, and other countries can learn from the Van Lam village experience.

Threats:

• Competition with other provinces and neighbouring countries.

Strengths:

• Long history and tradition of ceramic production (1000 years)
• There are many craftsmen and artists in the Bat Trang Village who have been operating for many generations.
• Good location: only 30 to 40 minutes by car from Hanoi, so it is easy to visit Bat Trang and return to Hanoi as part of a half day tour.
• Infrastructure: Roads are relatively good, and they have a well organized central market were each family has a space to display and sell their ceramic products.
• Community is well organized. They have an association from 3 years ago.
• Local government has a plan to develop handicrafts and ceramic products of Bat Trang.
• Diversity of products is quite good; designs, colors for all kinds of customers (generation, nationality, budget), they have daily use ceramics, decorative arts and traditional products.
• Financial services are good; they accept all major credit cards.
• Bat Trang ceramics creates employment for many families and external villagers.
• Future Direction: Bat Trang has a master plan for future development.

Weaknesses:

• Village atmosphere is no longer traditional, but quite modern with many shops and stores on the main road.
• Quality of products is not uniform. There are some low quality products.
• Traditional Methods of Production: The production process is becoming more modern, due to increasing demand and competitive pressures. This might enhance overall quality, however, it also diminishes the historical tradition of the ceramic production process which is of interest to tourists.
• Uniqueness: Bat Trang products do not utilise a brand or trade mark so it is not easy for them to differentiate their products in the market. (When asked why this was the case, one local producer responded that the wholesalers prefer it this way as they or the retail outlets can insert their own trade mark or brand on the product).

Opportunities:

• Bat Trang village has many opportunities to receive training and technical support from NGOs, and other International Organizations due to their reputation and location near Hanoi.
• There are opportunities to increase sales of Bat Trang ceramic products within the domestic market, especially among the newly emerging middleclass.
• There are opportunities to expand sales among the foreign tourist segment of the market, especially given their location, good infrastructure and historical reputation.
• There are opportunities to increase exports of Bat Trang ceramics, especially to the Japanese, European and U.S. markets.
• Regional relevance: Ceramics are produced in other neighbouring countries (e.g. Thailand and Cambodia) so there is an opportunity to use the Bat Trang experience as a model for neighbouring countries.

Threats:

• Competition from Chinese ceramics in the domestic market.
• Copy of design by the other villages.
• Clay for the ceramics is no longer locally available.

Dong Giao Village (Wood Carving)

Strengths:

• Long history / tradition
• It is on the way to the very popular tourist destination; middle way from Hanoi to Halong bay.
• They preserve traditional methods of production.
• High quality of products; diversity of products. Product design based on the customers' nationality; (e.g. Horse and Elephant for European and American customers, Monkey, Pig, Bird for Chinese etc.).
• Good export channel with many countries; China, Taiwan, Japan etc.
• Their business creates employment for many villagers; 97 percent of villagers are involved in wood carving production.
• Local community has a good future plan; community store, training center etc.

Weaknesses:

• Size of the products is too large for the tourists.
• Village atmosphere is not so traditional.
• Their products are not so unique, very similar to the Chinese popular wood carving products.
• They do not accept major credit cards. Given the high purchase price of the wood carving, this creates difficulties for the tourists.

Opportunities:

• They have a good opportunity to expand sales to the foreign tourist market segment and also for international exports.
• Regional Relevance is quite good, as other countries in the region also do wood carving so they can learn from the Dong Giao village experience.

Threats:

• Lack of raw materials; they do not have enough locally available wood, so they therefore need to obtain wood from other provinces and neighbour countries.
• Competition with neighbouring countries.

Strengths:

• 1160 years history and Tradition.
• It is very near from Hanoi. Within 20 minutes by car.
• Diversity of the products is good; designs, colors and patterns.
• Good cooperation between villagers; work sharing for dying, weaving etc.
• Financial services are good; they accept all major credit cards.
• Their business creates employment for many families and external villagers; 5,500 villagers are involved in the silk products business.

Weaknesses:

• Village atmosphere is no longer traditional, but quite modern with many shop and stores on the main road. (From a tourist perspective, they would think that they are in a suburb of Hanoi as the environment is very urban.)
• Uniqueness and traditional hand woven production techniques are disappearing, giving way to a more mechanized process of production.
• Lack of market information.

Opportunities:

:
• They have a high opportunity for expanding sales in the domestic, tourist and international (export) market segments. Currently, 40% of their products are sold to tourists.
• Regional relevance: Silk is also produced in other neighbouring countries (e.g. Thailand, Laos and Cambodia) so there is an opportunity to use the Van Phuc village experience as a model for neighbouring countries.

Threats:

• Competition with China; very similar products with lower price.
• Water pollution caused by the waste water from chemical dyes.
• Health problems of villagers by the chemical dyes.

Strengths:

• History and Tradition of lacquer production (1000 years).
• Chuyen My Lacquer ware creates employment opportunities for both community members and external labourers. Approx. 3,500 villagers are currently involved in the industry.
• Village atmosphere is traditional with interesting architectural design.
• There is a training center and community show room in the local community.
• Diversity of the products is good; furniture, lacquer painting, bowls, daily goods etc.
• Their products are unique to this one village.
• Strong vision of the community development.
• They preserve the traditional handicraft production process.

Weaknesses:

• They do not accept major credit cards. Given the high purchase price of the furniture, this creates difficulties for foreign tourists.
• Colors and patterns are limited.
• Lack of market information.
• Poor infrastructure: The road from Hanoi to the village is not good. Lack of investment in restaurants, and guest houses.

Opportunities:

:
• Growth in the domestic market. Currently 40 percentage of the business. Further expansion in the domestic market will be expected due to a raising middle class.
• Their products are exported to many countries; Russia, England, France, Holland, Sweden, Cambodia, Thailand etc. Currently 60 percentage of the business. So there is an opportunity for further expansion.
• Limited Regional relevance: Lacquer ware is produced in Myanmar.

Threats:

• Increase in price of raw materials.

Strengths:

• Long history and tradition (500 years).
• Craftsmanship and personal Story: Two families are involved with a very unique story. They represent the 20th generation involved with traditional painting
• Village atmosphere is very calm, traditional with interesting traditional architectural designs.
• Location: not far from Hanoi (1 hour and 30 minutes drive). The road from Hanoi to Dong Ho is good.
• Government and local authorities support and encourage traditional painting.
• Product Quality: Dong Ho paintings are very unique in Vietnam and in the world.
• They preserve the traditional method of painting; wooden printing block, natural paper made of gourd and sea shell.
• Future Direction: They have plans to publish a book to show the different types of traditional painting.

Weaknesses:

• Limited color, pattern and design; products are mostly black & white with traditional design.
• Limited product diversity; only paintings, postcard and posters.
• It is a seasonal product in the domestic market. Most paintings are sold during the Tet New Year.
• Only two artist families in the Dong Ho Village are involved into the production. Therefore, limited employment opportunity in the community.
• Regional relevance: The Dong Ho experience is difficult to apply in other regional countries, as the activity is quite unique to Vietnam.

Opportunities:

:
• Dong Ho paintings are attractive to foreign tourists; especially tourists from European and Asian countries, so opprtunities exist to increase sales to the foreign tourist segment of the market.
• Opportunity for more support from UNESCO, Japanese local government, NGOs etc.

Threats:

• Modern art and design is becoming more popular with the younger generation, so the demand in the domestic market will most likely decline unless there is an active promotion campaign by the government to promote traditional painting.

Strengths:

• Long historical tradition regarding hat production.
• There is a unique artisan; 80 years old with traditional skill of special type of conical hat for ceremony, dancer, singer etc.
• It is near to Hanoi.
• Local community is involved to the production (70% of the villagers).
• Traditional method of the production process.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of the diversity of products.
• Not so unique, as there are other villages in Vietnam involved in hat production.

Opportunities:

:
• Niche market for special hats for the performing arts and cultural festivals.
• Potential to expand sales to the tourist market, especially with regards to specially designed hats used in traditional dance performances.

Threats:

• Declining sales in the domestic market.
• Substitute products (mass produced cotton hats)
• Younger generation does not like to use the conical hat; prefers more modern style hats.

Strengths:

• 400 years of history / tradition.
• Good location: near to the tourism destination of Tam Coc Bich Dong (locally referred to as the
• Halong Bay in-land
• ).
• Natural landscape is good, local architecture uses stones.
• Good mix of the traditional production methods and modern technique.
• Their business creates employment for many villagers; 1000 villagers are involved in stone carving production.
• Local community is well organized.
• Local government has a good plan with a strong vision, works with the local community well.

Weaknesses:

• Size of the products; most of the products are too large for direct purchase by tourists.
• Product diversity is not enough.
• Product life is very long, therefore less demand from the same customers.
• They do not accept major credit cards. Given the high purchase price of the stone carvings, this creates difficulties for the tourists.
• Lack of the marketing information.

Opportunities:

:
• Rich natural resources in the surrounding area.
• Niche market for B to B business, for Pagoda in Vietnam and neighbour countries.
• Export channel to Europe, U.S.A, Laos, Cambodia etc.

Threats:

• Environmental damage; cutting mountain, health problems for the craftsmen by the dust from stone.