Traditional Arts & Crafts in Vietnam
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Lacquerware
Vietnamese lacquerware is a good example of the evolution of a craft. Introduced into Vietnam from China, the skill of creating highly-polished articles by coating them with several layers of resin developed into sophisticated art. The brilliant colours and gilded embellishments in pagodas and temples, delicate items of polished furniture, large wall-hung artworks, and tourist souvenirs are all being created by modern craftspeople, and show influences from all over Asia and beyond.
Wood and stone carving
The tradition of wood carving can be seen in Vietnamese statuary, furniture, architecture and ornaments. Typically, they are heavily incised and often stained to very dark colours or lacquered. Inlaying, usually with mother of pearl, is also a highly-developed Vietnamese craft.
An abundance of high-grade limestone and the early influences of the Hindu motifs of the Cham people have encouraged a long tradition stone carving. In the past, the craft was closely associated with embellishments to royal and religious buildings, but is now more often expressed in the form of public statuary. The fine work in the large cities shows a variety of styles from classic styles through Soviet realism to modern art.
Craft villages
A particularly Vietnamese tradition is the ‘craft village’, small communities where the inhabitants work together to manufacture particular products such as knives, rush mats, bamboo birdcages, ceramics, rice wine, and dozens of other commonplace and unusual articles. Most craft villages are in the north, mainly clustered around Hanoi.
Ethnic crafts
The richness and diversity of ethnic craft in Vietnam can be seen in many shops and galleries in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Advanced skills include embroidery, batik, appliqué work and different styles of weaving, often with highly stylised patterns, as well as intricate jewellery, usually fashioned from silver and local gemstones.
Music
Architecture
Where are all the old buildings?
Vernacular Vietnamese architecture
Traditional Chinese architecture
Ethnic vernacular architecture
Vietnam has many distinct ethnic groups, and many have preserved their indigenous architecture, some of which is highly attractive. The 30m long sweeping straw roofs of the Ba Na ‘rong’ houses and the E De long houses that sometimes extend over 100m are particularly interesting.
Colonial French architecture
Modern architecture in Vietnam
Modern public architecture
Expressive Arts
Vietnamese Literature
Vietnamese music
Vietnamese singing
Vietnamese dance
Vietnamese theatre
The famous ‘water puppets’
Water puppetry (Roi Nuoc) is a unique North Vietnamese tradition. Records show that it was being performed as early as 1121 AD: several troupes are still active and performances take place daily in Hanoi. The puppeteers are hidden behind a curtain up to their waists in water and manipulate the puppets on long rods, creating the illusion that they are gliding across the water. A performance consists of a succession of short scenes of rural life, and is a highly entertaining and amusing introduction to the Vietnamese peasant tradition.
Folk remedies
The traditional healer
The basics of Vietnamese traditional medicine
Diagnosis
Treatment
Vietnamese traditional medicine in the 21st century
1. Dai Quang Minh Market
Type of Products: Accessories
Address: 31, 33, 35 Chau Van Liem Street, ward 14, District 5.
This can be a heaven for Saigon creatives, since the market has numerous shops that sell countless accessories for sewing and crafting. Walking along the small alleyway on the outside of the market, which is called ‘Tong Duy Tan’, you might end up being surrounded by lots of gorgeous handmade merchandise, such as endless colorful strings, lovely artificial flowers, festive ribbons and non-woven textiles. There are sparkling glitter strings for decoration, fabric string for gift wrapping, metal strings, strings with diamantes for shoes and handbag design, as well as many other types of vibrant strings, which are sold by the meter or by the roll, depending on each shop owner’s preference.
One of our favorite things about this market are the sustainable hemp strings that are not only super cheap, but they also come in many sizes and colors to choose from. There are also shops that sell wooden buttons and beads, which are perfect for vintage-looking designs. Inside the market’s hall, you will will certainly marvel at the shelves full of cute buttons of all types, shapes and sizes, which are typically placed in their small plastic packs. You will also find various metal hardware and lace fabric shops here, along with places that sell wholesale zippers, metal hooks, clips and other hardwares that might just be perfect for your next project.
2. Soai Kinh Lam Fabric Market
Type of Products: Wholesale Fabric
Address: 465-473 Tran Hung Dao B street, District 5.
The Soai Kinh Lam Fabric Market, also known as ‘Dong Khanh Department Stores’, is considered to be the biggest fabric market in Saigon, with more than 500 stalls that offer an endless selection of cotton, corduroy, tartan, denim, velvet and chiffon. It’s easy to recognize the market from far away, thanks to the tons of huge and outrageously bright fabric rolls that are usually displayed along the streets. The speciality of this wholesale market is that each shop only sells a certain kind of fabric, with plentiful patterns and colors to choose from. Some of the best selling items of the Soai Kinh Lam market are the traditional materials for making Vietnamese “áo dài”, “áo bà ba” and Chinese cheongsam, such as “lãnh Mỹ A”, satin, silk and brocade. This is the perfect place for professional designers and tailors to source various materials at a low price from. However, if you are buying in small quantities, prices can still be fairly high. So taking a stroll among the stalls and shop around a bit before making a decision.
3. Streets around Tan Binh Market
Type of Products: Wholesale Fabric
Address: Le Minh Xuan Street, Ba Giai street, Tan Tien Street and Phu Hoa street in Tan Binh District.
If you are looking for fabric for your working suit design (like most tourists do), this place seems to be the most logical destination, as many wholesale fabric shops are located around Tan Binh Market. This region is not as crowded and busy as other wholesale markets, yet the sellers are very friendly and hardly overcharge you. Even when you only buy a couple of meters, they will still be very happy to sell fabric to you. Price can fluctuate among shops; it ranges approximately between 5,000 VND – 10,000 VND/meter for wholesale price, and 15,000 VND – 30,000 VND for retail price. The main products sold in these streets are clearance fabrics from export textile companies, therefore they are of higher quality than the products that can be found in the other marketplaces.
4. Phu Tho Hoa Street
Type of Products: Fabric Remnants
Address: Phu Tho hoa street, Phu Tho Hoa ward, Tan Phu District.
For many years, Phu tho Hoa Street has appeared to be a “fabric scrap street” to many local people. Only 1 kilometer long, this street has hundreds of fabric remnant businesses. The textiles are bought from different sewing contractors in Saigon, and then they are classified by hand, and sold to customers by the kilogram. Depending on the size of the scraps, they can be upcycled to make face masks, scrapbook covers, teddy bear stuffing, cushion covers, and aprons! Their price is usually amazingly cheap, 1 kilogram of fabric scraps would only cost around 5,000 VND – 20,000 VND. Since you can not order the same pattern, this is the place for upcycling lovers, who are not very picky about fabric design, when looking for the best materials for their projects.
5. In front of Tan Dinh Market
Type of Products: Fabric by kilogram
Address: 337 Hai Ba Trung street, District 1.
Another destination for fabric by the kilogram is the Trade Cooperatives Ward 8 District 3 on Hai Ba Trung street. There are only a few fabric shops located in front of the Tan Dinh Market, but they sell beautiful, high-quality and rare textiles, which are favored by many designers and fashion design students. The textiles that are sold here come in pieces that are large enough for making dresses, and are still sold by the kilogram. Their prices range from around 100,000 VND to 120,000 VND/kg. Make sure to check your products carefully, as some might have defects, such as stains or holes in the middle. Besides, these shops also offer collections of premium fabrics for the traditional “áo dài”.
6. Hai THuong Lan Ong Street
Type of Products: Wholesale and Retail Recycled Paper
Address: Hai Thuong Lan Ong street, District 5 (next to Kim Bien Market).
Although it’s not an official market, the part of Hai Thuong Lan Ong street next to Kim Bien Market is the best place to buy various kinds of new and recycled paper, with a very reasonable price. There are a few houses that appear to be overwhelmed with columns made of stacks of paper that reach high up to the roof, where you will find many types of paper, of different thickness and color. Recycled papers usually come in white, brown, grey, cream, ivory and orange. A good thing is that the retail price is almost the same among shops, so you don’t have to worry about being ripped off. However, it could be a good idea to ask around a couple of shops for quotes if you are going to be buying a fairly large amount; the shop owners here are very friendly and helpful. Whether you are looking for thin recycled papers for gift wrapping or thick brown kraft paper for your business cards, this place will definitely have you covered.
We, Vietnam handmade handbag manufacturer, a family company, during the last 15 years, have been the reliable and reputable workshop in hand embroidery field in Hanoi & other Northen provinces of Vietnam. Ninety percent of our products have been exported to Japan.
Our main products are based on smocking and hand embroidery for fashion accessories such as Bags & purses,.. We also make students’ uniform, felt toy, etc.
The employees’ excellent skills, high quality fabrics, threads from DMC and a creative working environment which help us on the top.
Embroidery is being used from centuries, there are traces of embroidery work from ancient times from all over the world, more so from the eastern countries. These design inspirations include natural, floral, geometric, abstract, tribal, mythological, architectural designs, etc.
It is an art of self-expression, done with patience and hard work. Embroidery enhances the beauty and style of the object even in the articles of everyday use. The common hand embroidery stitches are chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, stem stitch, French knot, bullion stitch, cross stitch, etc. All types of fabrics such as cotton, silk, linen, chiffon, satin, velvet, etc., are used for embroidery.
The history of Vietnamese embroidery is about 700 years long. The history of this traditional work connected closely with the spiritual history of the Vietnamese women in the past.
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