Hanoi (VNA) – Traditional crafts are generally firmly anchored in time: it is the business of several generations who have passed down know-how.
But every rule has its exceptions and in Huê Lai, which is a village attached to the province of Hung Yên (North), goldsmithing only made its appearance in the 1990s. However, it developed quickly there. to the point of taking the place of traditional crafts…
No ancestral tradition, therefore… The story dates back to the 1990s, when certain jewelers from Huê Lai went to learn goldsmithing from master craftsmen from the village of Châu Khê, in the neighboring province of Hai Duong, before return home and be emulated.
Dô Xuân Chuyên, who is today the director of the Phù Ung cooperative, is one of these pioneers… “I learned the trade at Châu Khê. At the time, there were very few goldsmiths in Hue Lai, but first there was this cooperative, in 1998, and the local authorities then ensured that the village acquired the status of a specialized craft village in goldsmithing. That was in 2004,” he says.
The creation of a piece of goldsmithing involves a whole process which starts from the design of a model and which requires constant attention to detail. In any case, this is what emerges from the words of Nguyên Van Thu, an artisan. “Each step must be executed with precision. It is thanks to the dexterity and patience of the artisans that our jewelry has this particular beauty,” he says.
There is a wide range of gold and silver products in Huê Lai, which are distinguished by the originality of the patterns, which are constantly renewed, according to current trends. Pham Thi Thu Huyên is a loyal customer, who swears by Huê Lai when it comes to jewelry…
“Huê Lai jewelry stands out for its exceptional quality, elegant and modern designs. There are always new models, and that keeps customers in suspense,” she confides.
In the commune of Phù Ung, which is the one to which Huê Lai is attached, a real industrial and artisanal development plan has been put in place. Trân Công Thiên, the vice-president of the commune’s popular committee, outlines…
“Every summer, we organize training for young people, with the aim of facilitating their professional integration and improving family income. Some open jewelry stores in other provinces, or even abroad, notably in Laos, while others continue to practice the trade at home,” he explains.
To date, the village has around 1,000 artisans, who can count on land support from the district this time.
“We organize fairs and trade promotion campaigns, while mobilizing resources to develop local and international markets. We also encourage workshops to modernize their equipment and adopt more advanced technologies,” explains Nguyên Van Hoàng Thiên, deputy head of the economy and infrastructure office of Ân Thi district.
In 2014, Huê Lai’s creations were recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade as outstanding handicraft products from rural areas of Northern Vietnam. They are also starting to be exported to China, Laos and Cambodia. – VNA
