Published:  09:46 Friday - May 03, 2013

The 2013 Traditional Craft Festival, the ‘Quintessence of Vietnamese Crafts’, officially concluded in the central city of Hue on May 1.

The closing ceremony featured a variety of activities including a ritual sacrifice to the ancestors of traditional crafts and a procession at Phan Boi Chau park, as well as performances by artists from across the country.

Addressing the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Hue People’s Committee, Nguyen Dang Thanh, emphasised that the biennial festival affirms and honours the values and quintessence of traditional Vietnamese crafts and contributes to thedevelopment of trade villages and tourism.

The five-day event brought together hundreds of artisans, craftsmen, antique collectors and scientists from 37 craft villages throughout the country and attracted more than 65,000 domestic and foreign visitors to Hue.

A French exhibition entitled ‘Heritage on the Move’, a display of bamboo work by Ueno Masao from Japan and a fashion show featuring famous Vietnamese fashion name Minh Hanh and foreign designers from France, the Philippines and Hong Kong (China) were the highlights of this year’s festival.

The 2013 Vietnam Craft Village Fair was also held alongside the Traditional Craft Fesitival from April 26 to May 1, with 180 booths showing products from enterprises and craft villages across the country.

VNA