SEVERAL BASIC QUESTIONS OF REASONING AND
Concept and features of traditional trade villages
1.2.1 Concept of traditional trade village
Formerly, traditional trades were formed, survived, and developed in a certain region or village From those major production areas, trade villages, towns, and communes have been formed with the most basic features that are traditional techniques and technologies, and skilled artisans and artisans
Handicraft products have been made to be both goods and artistic objects, bearing national characteristics
In Vietnam, there are trade villages that have been formed and existed for hundreds of years; their with products are well-known at home and abroad such as Bat Trang ceramics village (Gia Lam, Hanoi), Dong Xam silver carving village (Thai Binh), and Van Phuc silk village (Ha Dong, Hanoi) et cetera However, there are some villages appearing due to the agricultural economic restructure such as Ninh Phuc flower village (Ninh Binh)
Hence, the concept of trade village is understood in many different ways
Prof Tran Quoc Vuong thought that trade villages (such as ceramics villages of Bat Trang, Tho Ha, Phu Lang, and Huong Canh; bronze casting villages of Buoi, Vo, He Nom, Thieu Ly, and Phuoc Kieu; the paper making villages of Buoi area and Duong O; iron forging villages of Canh Dien, Phu Duc, and Da Hoi) still do small farming and breeding (pig and chicken) and have some other secondary jobs (weaving, making soybean jam and tofu)
However, they are outstanding with a traditional sophisticated handicraft, even professionally or unprofessionally They have merchant guilds (organizational structure), supervisors and their assistants along with some
They give their whole mind to their profession with a certain technological process “A rolling stone gathers no moss” They live mainly by that job and make handmade artistic goods that have become commodities They have marketing relationship with markets of the surrounding areas and with urban markets and the capital (Ke Cho, Hue, and Saigon), and eventually planning to expand to the whole country and exporting abroad These trade villages have little better known for a long time (with hundreds or a thousand years of age) People know their names and the names of those villages have gone down in history, folk songs, and proverbs, and they become folklore heritage[4, pp.38-39]
Prof.Dr Hoang Ngoc Hoa and Prof.Dr Vu Van Phuc in their book
“Developing traditional trade villages in industrialization and modernization process” said that “Trade village consists of a group of people living in a village (hamlet) They have one or several jobs that are separated from agriculture to be independent businesses Income from those occupations makes up a great proportion of the total product value of the village” [28, pp.13]
Researcher Bui Van Vuong believed that “Trade village is a center producing handicrafts and a place gathering together many craftsmen and households specializing in a traditional trade They have a combination and support in production and sale with the form of guilds and small and medium enterprise system They have the same professional ancestor and members always aware of the convention to comply with social institutions and families The combination and support each other in term of job, money, technique, and young worker training among families of the same clans and merchant guilds in the job history and development formed the trade village in their traditional residential unit and village.” [5, pp.13-14]
Hence, it can be seen that the concept of trade village focuses on the following contents
First, the trade village is understood as an economic and social institution in rural areas, composed by two factors of village and profession It exists in a certain geographical space, including many households that live mainly on craft Among them, there are economic, social and cultural combinations
Second, trade villages in our country have been formed and developed according to the request of labor assignment and specialization process in order to meet the development needs of rural areas Hence, they have the characteristics of wet rice cultivation and self-sufficiency economy However, the noticeable thing is that in those villages, people involved in handicrafts and live mainly on the income from those jobs make up a large proportion of the villages’ total population
Today, when the science and technology has made fast progress, the division of labor according to the specialization direction is more professional
People apply mechanical and semi-mechanical technologies to do faster and more convenient production However, the concept of traditional trade villages in our country is still understood that most of the people of those villages involve in traditional jobs or a few lines specialize in some hereditary jobs
Nevertheless, the jobs are not transmitted in a copy and imitated way; they are improved with creativity and bear the age echo to make their products have unique features that are different from the products of others, villages, and regions
In our country, today there are many trade villages Hence, the classification of trade village is extremely difficult There are many ways to classify trade villages; however, they can be roughly divided in two ways:
+ By the number of trades:
- Villages of a trade: Have only one trades besides farming
- Villages of many trades: Have more than one trades beside farming + By nature of trades:
- Traditional trade villages are the ones that have appeared for a long time and still existed today
- New trade villages are the ones that appear because of the pervasive development of traditional trade villages, or are imported from other provinces Some of them have just been formed because of some localities’ policy of creating jobs for local people They send workers to other areas for vocational training and then come back to guide the local people
Basing on traditional trade groups, it can be divided into four types of traditional trade villages that are corresponding to four traditional trade groups, namely:
- Traditional trade villages specializing in producing handmade artistic items such as pottery, porcelain, silk weaving, wood carving, stone carving, and embroidery
- Traditional trade villages specializing in producing goods for production and daily life such as blacksmith work, carpentry, masonry, welding, iron casting, and construction materials
- Traditional trade villages specializing in producing goods for ordinary consumption such as textiles, sedge mat, conical hat, and clothing
- Traditional trade villages specializing in processing foods such as rice millwork, making rice vermicelli, and seafood processing
1.2.3 Features of traditional trade villages
Features of techniques, technologies, and products
It can be said that the first characteristic is traditional handicraft technique and family secret Production tools are mainly handmade by the artisans to manufacture handmade products Products require not only skills but also experience accumulated over many generations of the artisans These experience then become trade secret and can be only passed to children in the family and clan These factors create the specific quality and aspect for the products to make them more enduring, better, and different from products of the same job elsewhere This feature also specifies the nature of labor and products of the traditional trade The products are determined by the skills and dexterity of the artisans
In the past, because of small capital, narrow production space, and small farming, technologies were slowly improved and replaced This greatly affected production process, lowering the labor productivity, wasting working time, and producing products with bad and uneven quality Especially, the technical backwardness greatly influences the production environment and health of workers However, today with the harmonious combination of modern and traditional technologies in the manufacturing process, special important advantages have been brought They are the creation of labor productivity with many times higher than manual method Products are with high quality, reducing heaviness and hazard for workers and providing main income to change the rural social face Although modern sciences and technologies develop and contribute to the technical innovation and products’ quality improvement in some certain production phases, traditional technologies are still at top priorities making the tradition of the products For instance, in making fine art furniture, people apply modern technology in cutting wood and polishing products In other carving phases, people must use traditional manual tools such as awls and chisels with the artisans’ ingenuity and sophisticated skills Even some occupations still use conventional technologies such as pearl inlaying, lacquer, embroidery, and weaving
As the traditional manufacturing technique and technology has a long history and it is passed from generation to generation, traditional products have their own unique and distinctive features They show the originality and art of the products with unique characteristics of each village and region that are not common anywhere For instance, the ceramic products of Bat Trang are different from those of Dong Nai; Dai Bai bronze-casting products are not similar to those of Thua Thien - Hue; and Ninh Van village’s stone products (Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh) are different to Non Nuoc stone products (Da Nang)
Factors influencing the formation and development of trade villages 33 1 Geographical position
It can be said that geographical position has an important meaning for the formation, survival, and development of any traditional trade village In general, trade villages in the northern Delta often have advantageous geographical positions in terms of transportation and sources of raw materials
These ensure frequent and continuous professional practice Handicraft products are provided not only to the villages but also to the whole country and abroad Thus, when setting up in business, professional ancestors usually pay much attention to geographical position, especially the “market and riverside” factor as if the transportation is convenient, it will be easy for the product consumption, trade development, and attraction of many people The talent of workers is mainly due to their learning and improving However, the geographical location and trade village environment is vital for the prosperity and survival of the industries
Formerly, the trade and exchange of goods was primarily conducted by waterway or carriage and wagon After the French had invaded our country, they built railways and expand motorways to serve the colonial exploitation; the transport in our country was changed However, the riverside factor still played an important role in the sale and purchase of products and raw materials for production In addition, the village market factor also contributed to the consumption of products If lacking of the raw materials or the riverside factor, the Vietnamese traditional handicrafts villages can hardly develop and be well known everywhere such as Dong Ho woodblock paintings, Bat Trang ceramics, Ha Dong silk, and Quat Dong embroidery
1.3.2 Demands of the consumers and economic pressure
Consumers’ demand is very large and diverse The demands can be the needs for food, clothing, accommodation, and travel, or worship, religion, and popular beliefs that have existed and developed during thousands of years of history and culture
Formerly, when there was no modern machine and the economy had not strongly grown, everything from household appliances, production tools to worshipping objects, weapons, and musical instruments were hand made with rudimentary production means However, traditional experience and extremely sophisticated techniques had made handmade products become popular in the society at that time They not only met the needs of people in the country but also became objects paying tribute to neighboring countries
By the early twentieth century, the mechanical industry began to develop in Vietnam Machines and industrial equipments brought to our country by the French made our crafts have a significant development
Machines have been used in some of stages in the handicraft production such garment industry, wood exploitation and processing become semi-manual occupations (half-mechanical and half-manual production) In addition, the traditional crafts with traditional technology are still being developed such as embroidery and weaving Especially since the 1930s, Vietnamese handicrafts have been liked by Western countries; thus, the demand of exporting handicrafts has increased more than before The growing demand created conditions for the policy of making traditional craft villages in the North proper of the French authorities in Indochina Trade villages participated in some fairs in Hanoi and Marsei (France) Several skilled artisans were sent to France to participate in fairs and performed the process of making exquisitely crafted products
Thus, a need for crafts will create traditional craft production Good quality and perfect products will be liked and trusted by the consumers The greater the demand is, the more sustainable the production of trade villages reaches
1.3.3 Professional skill level of the artisans and qualified workers; traditional techniques and long-standing experience of trade villages
It can be affirmed that the artisans play a huge role in the development of industries and trade villages The hands of talented artisans have made valuable and sophisticated products with unique cultural values, contributing to honor trade villages The artisans with love for their industries have patiently taught their children and young people day in and day out and year after year using the method of “learning by doing” and “learning through practicing” This has created a team of skillful artisans at the villages Like this, the generations of artisans have created unique and sophisticated products to enrich their villages and bring honor on life
As the characteristics of craft production is that the grandparents, parents, and children work in the same industry, in a trade village, three have been some generations of artisans do the same production and business
Formerly, as the economy in northern delta area was self-sufficient and self- produced, the handicraft production was taken place year-round or seasonally with a close technological process People themselves went to purchase raw materials and processed those materials to make products; and finally the products were sold by them However, people could hire workers and artisans of other areas to work in some heavy and complicated production phases For instance, Bat Trang ceramic village often hired pottery firing workers from Ha Dong (called kiln guild); each group included four to six dedicated workers to fire the kiln and worked in ceramic burning technique Today, the production in Bat Trang has changed significantly Many phases of the ceramic making process in Bat Trang have been specialized There are households specializing in making glaze and colors; some artisans have specialized in designing for many households Families of artisans or skilled workers self-produce their models and produce according to the market demand or orders
Most of trade villages use their long-standing techniques in the production process However, each craft has its own production techniques Those techniques include many phases, from exploiting and processing raw materials to bettering the products and selling to the consumers During the production of handicrafts, it is indispensable to use techniques and long-standing experience Although many villages share a craft and use the same technique, each technical phase is different from one another This depends on the creativity and the art of each artisan That is the reason to explain why even with the same profession and producing the same products, this village’s products cannot substitute the product of other villages; and this artisan cannot replace the position and the role of others
On the other hand, the existence and development of traditional handicraft villages is due to long-standing experience passed from artisans and skilled workers from generation to generation The secrets then become the property of each family, linage, and trade village They are not easy to be revealed outside but are kept carefully as treasures and optimal weapons to compete with other villages
1.3.4 Regulations of trade villages and the government’s policies
Previously, in the northern delta villages, conventions were considered a legal system that was implicitly recognized and coexisted with the legal system of the centralized feudal authority They became a kind of villages’
“rules” that people often said “Imperial power bends to suit rural customs”
Conventions are the specific rules of the local laws ensuring the sustainability and consistency in all activities of the villages On that basis, industry guilds, associations, and families also set up their professional regulations in the form of oaths that have been passed on from generation to generation Family members and guilds must strictly comply these oaths For instance, Chau Khe silver and gold carving (Hai Duong) worships the professional ancestor Luu Xuan Tin who started up the silver ingot casting for the court in the 15 th century Filigree workers have very strict professional rules Every year on the occasion of Spring rites (from 1 st to 12 th of the second lunar month) and the Autumn rites (from 1 st to 12 th of the eighth lunar month), Chau Khe gold and silver workers hold a ceremony to worship its Tutelary god and professional ancestor at the communal house and temple in the countryside and in Hang Bac (Hanoi) They have explicitly defined that people making golden counterfeit products and silver wares mixed with copper, lead, or tin, or giving short weight (using false weight or intentionally changing the scale) shall be punished by the villages, families, and guilds People with minor offence will get the pecuniary penalty; ones with mortal sin with be beaten on the yard of the professional ancestor temple; or they will even be expelled from the industry guild or driven out of the village
Study viewpoints and methods
- Viewpoint of village system: Van Lam embroidery village is considered a part of a system of Vietnamese trade villages Thus, it has a close and mutual relation with the whole system, even it has to move according to the system rule
They study of all natures of Vietnamese trade villages has its practical value; at the same time, it can be applied in organizing and developing trade villages sustainably
- Viewpoint of sustainable development: Developing trade villages in a sustainable way is now a direction of many traditional craft villages in Vietnam in the process of rural and agricultural industrialization and modernization Developing trade villages in a sustainable direction is to protect natural resources and environment, and enhance the conservation and promotion of local cultural value It enriches the national culture, particularly ensuring the sustainable economic and social development with great efficiency Sustainable development is the harmonious combination of current needs and future demands in term of production and consumption fields in order to achieve a balance among economic, social, and environmental factors Therefore, in this paper, we use the viewpoint of sustainable development in evaluating the potential, analyzing the real situation, and proposing solutions to ensure the development of Van Lam embroidery village
- Method to collect, analyze, and synthesize materials is necessary in approaching research question The research of material overview will enable the access to research results in the past and update problems at home and abroad Then, the materials can be classified, analyzed, and discovered key issues and aspects needed to be approached Basing on collected materials and the analyzed results, the synthesis of materials will be helpful in forming a comprehensive document with an overview of the problem being studied
- Sociological survey method is one of those now widely used in doing research Through direct personal interviews and surveyed interviews, it will be more convenient to obtain more information and opinions with high accuracy
- Method of field research and field trip helps us approach the problem in an active and visual way We can authentically assess and check to obtain a comprehensive view of the study subjects Key activities in this method are observing, describing, investigating, recording, photographing the study place, meeting and exchanging with local authorities and management agencies
- Interdisciplinary method is commonly used today Using this method requires practical understanding and basic knowledge of study subjects, focusing on both general issues and specific problems Therefore, the use of interdisciplinary method will reconstruct a comprehensive picture of the study subjects, as well as improve the quality of doing research.
REAL SITUATION OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
History of the embroidery in Vietnam
In Vietnam, embroidery is long-standing traditional trade According to history books, the embroidery trade appeared later than the weaving when the textile products were bettered It can be seen that embroidery as a process contributing to the textile beauty
The studies of Hung King dynasty proved that “People-shaped statues and human figures carved on the drums and glazed terri-cotta jars make we know that costumes are quite rich Lac Viet people wear pullovers and shirts with buttons on the left Young men and women have nice and embroidered dresses” [37, pp.34]
According to the history books, in the third and 4 th centuries, our country could produce woven cotton cloths with small-embroidered characters and flowers In 1156 in the Ly Dynasty, among tribute sent to Song Dynasty, there were 850 cloths of dark yellow textiles embroidered rolling dragons [32, pp.23]
Also in historical books, in the Tran Dynasty, the Kings and noble mandarins commonly used embroidery products and parasols In 1289, according to records of Tu Minh Thien, a Yuan Dynasty messenger, King Tran Nhan Tong donated a small-sized golden buffer and a tapestry with crepe hem Four years later, in January 1293, according to another record of Tran Phu envoy in the Yuan Dynasty, only looking at the mandarins’ parasol that we could know their rank and office and title: “In term of Dai Viet mandarins’ rank, we can distinguish them by their parasols High-ranking civil and military court officials used three green parasols Inferior officials used two and one parasols Only people of the royalty can took the purple parasols” [8, pp.53]
The trade of embroidery first appeared because of a simple reason that was to ornament the clothing However, in the process of development, the embroidery products were more diverse, profound, and artistic They became goods to be exchanged and traded in the market According to researches of historians, in the 16 th century, in Thang Long imperial city, there were 36 busy trading streets, including Hang Theu street The opening of trade with foreign countries made the streets of Thang Long become more crowded
However, there were some other legends saying that in the last reign of the Le Dynasty, in the sixteenth century, the embroidery appeared in Quat Dong village, Thuong Tin district (Hanoi today) The villagers and people in surrounding areas were taught by an minister of the Le Dynasty named Le Cong Hanh Thus, it is thought that Le Cong Hanh is the ancestor of the embroidery trade
Therefore, it can be said that the embroidery was born very early in our country in the same time with the silk weaving industry In addition, the fact that Le Cong Hanh was considered as the ancestor embroidery probably because he had introduced some techniques from foreign countries and innovated and developed our traditional embroidery industry
In the book An nam Embroidery of Gabrielle Dain, the embroidery of our country was mentioned as following: “There are all kinds of different colors, from superficial to deep (dark) colors They are very strange and unexpected with only some brown tuber dyed times People used colors made from plants However, the colors are durable and unfading Hence, the embroidery products in the ancient time are valuable and beautiful.” It proves that the embroidery was well known since the ancient time
In the early decades of the twentieth century when the French conducted the second colonization sweep off the natural resources of Vietnam to enrich the mother country The traditional crafts were also paid attention by the French because of its available resource cheap labor In addition, to serve the needs of consumption and making money, the French also brought into Vietnam raw materials, tools, and even new embroidery techniques to create diverse embroidery products in term of model and type such as bed sheets and pillows They used white threads to do the embroidery on white cloth This time also witnessed the exchange of traditional and western embroidery techniques to make a new nuance for the embroidery industry The embroiderers embroidered not only landscapes and historical stories but also portray
However, when the Second World War happened and during the war of resistance against the French, the embroidery in our country was brought to a standstill After the peace was restored in 1954, our Party and State laid down policies to develop traditional handicrafts; then the embroidery had chance to develop In this period, many Vietnamese embroidery products were brought to fairs and exhibitions of handicrafts in Moscow Some works worn golden medals such as the “Kittens and dragonflies” of Mr Pham Viet Vuong, an embroidery artisan of Quat Dong village.
Forming and developing process of Van Lam embroidery village
2.2.2 Forming and developing process of Van Lam embroidery village
In Van Lam, the embroidery is one of the famous traditional craft of Hoa Lu in particular and of Ninh Binh province in general This job appeared in Van Lam since the Tran Dynasty According to the elderly, when King Tran Thai Tong (Tran Canh) together with his court coming to Phi Tran Van Son to build the army bases struggling against the Mongol for the second time
(1285), Mrs.Tran Thi Dung, mother-in-law of King Tran Thai Tong passed on the embroidery trade to Van Lam people in Ninh Hai During the time that the Tran stayed in this land, the embroidery had a significant development Many people and families worked in embroidery industry The lace making industry appeared later about 100 years ago It was imported from France However, at the end of the war against the Nguyen - Mong invasion, the Tran dynasty went back to Thang Long – Hanoi; the embroidery with lace has also gradually declined
In the French domination time, Van Lam embroidered products were sold across the country and in France also Many “foreign” hotels in Hanoi used Van Lam embroidered-with-laces products for all of their cloth items
The French also sticked Venice brand, an Italian city famous for embroidery with laces, on Van Lam products in order to enhance the attractiveness to customers Representatives of the French government in Vietnam used to awarded the nine grades of mandarin system to Van Lam embroiderers for having made innovative and valuable products However, in the resistance against the French invasion, the embroidery in Van Lam was narrowed When the peace was restored in the North (1954), the embroidery here was restored
During the war fighting against the U.S imperialism, the embroidery in Van Lam was expanded to all the communes of Hoa Lu However, until now, Van Lam (the cradle of the embroidery in Hoa Lu) is still the place where the embroidery is developed the most The embroidery has been handed down from generation to generation until now People in Van Lam have acquainted with the embroidery since they were children The grandparents and parents are often interested in teaching and transmitting embroidery techniques to their descendants Previously, Van Lam women getting married to men in places far away from home still carried with them the embroidery frame
They considered it a means to earn a living when they meet with misfortune
In Van Lam, almost families keep their trade; people of all ages make every effort to uphold the embroidery
The wharf at the head of Van Lam village was the place to pick up visitors to Tam Coc, as well as the place where embroidered products were transported to other areas and raw materials were imported This transport clue was very convenient for the embroidery development as the waterway cost was always the lowest one among all types of transportation Hence, the product costs were significantly reduced; the consumption of goods increased, and the income of producers has been raised However, as the embroidered products were luxury and expensive while the income of people formerly was not high, even with a long history, Van Lam embroidery was not developed
Therefore, in the 1970s, when our government signed contracts and exported handicraft products to eastern European countries, including embroidery goods, the embroidery trade in Van Lam village has been revitalized At that time, number of people living by the embroidery was up to
500 people that was ten times bigger than before Embroidery cooperatives appeared with thousands of members The manual production was managed by concentrated planning mechanism The embroiderers were also the cooperatives’ members They strictly followed the embroidery designs given by the management board of the cooperatives Then the cooperatives delivered products timely to exported privilege agencies with low prices defined by the State The pay for artisans’ workday to make these very sophisticated products was only equal to that of the farmers doing plowing and transplanting (about half or one kilogram of paddy per day for one person).
In the subsidy mechanism, Van Lam embroidery workers suffered many disadvantages However, they told to themselves that “Little and often fills the purse”, and “holding the needle to embroidery is still better than toiling and moiling in the field” They did not have enough land for cultivation; thus, if they did not have the “secondary job”, they would meet with difficulties Embroidered products had to be sold to the State-run enterprises with fixed prices Private companies or cooperatives were not allowed export while not many people in our country could afford such expensive and luxury products Thus, even the embroidery was recovered, the embroidered workers were still at a standstill situation There was no second option for them [5, pp.182]
Through ups and downs, today, the embroidery trade in Van Lam village has affirmed its position and growth, creating jobs and increasing income for people and families Van Lam villagers ardently “live by the sword and die by the sword” to create high-grade embroidery for export to Western markets and some Asian countries to satisfy international customers who are fastidious and conversant with lace embroidery Many families in Van Lam village involve in the trade “from father to son” such as the family of Mr.Dinh Ngoc Quan Mr Quan is a famous artisan of designing embroidery pattern and one of three best artisans of the village His sixth son, Mr.Dinh Ngoc Cuong knows how to embroider and he is the youngest embroiderer in the village He is one of small masters in the village who produces the goods and purchase products to sell to big agencies that can directly export abroad
Among the artisans of Van Lam at present, there is an artisan named Chu Van Luong Although he is old, every day after having meals, he still keep embroidering whether it is sunny or rainy With his dedication to the development of the village, in November 2007, he was awarded the certificate to recognize him as the trade villages’ artisan by the Vietnam Association of Trade villages This is a prestigious award for his efforts to preserve and promote the precious values of the village He said that “The embroidery appeared in Van Lam long time ago Previously, the embroidered products were mainly for the needs of the court or decorating communal houses and pagodas In each time, the embroidery has its ups and downs but it has never withered During the wars against France and the U.S., Van Lam embroiderers still kept embroidering even in trench shelters They used oil lamps to light up to create beautiful works for life Today, Van Lam embroidery products have become the commodities for visitors who come to Tam Coc and Bich Dong They appear in many areas in the country and cross the border to come to international friends” The embroidery brings considerable income to families, and attract people of different classes and ages to participate in production Even many Van Lam embroidery workers become “teachers” going to other localities to transmit the trade This creates employment and increase income for families Thanks to this, the embroidery of Van Lam has been transmitted to communes in the province However, the best and the most sophisticated products have been made by Van Lam artisans
Currently, the market mechanism has revived embroidery villages
However, it also puts the embroidery in Van Lam village in the face of fierce challenges and competitions Many families become rich thanks to the embroidery However, there are still many poor families Professional artisans here In addition, the formation of a number of private enterprises and limited liability companies manufacturing embroidery products such as Yen Nhi, Minh Trang, and An Loc They open up new development direction for employment of Van Lam embroidery The labor force working for these companies and businesses is not only in Van Lam village of Ninh Hai commune, but in most communes in Hoa Lu, even outside this district
Products of Van Lam embroidery increasingly diverse in types and designs in order to meet the consumers’ demand They appear in many places at home and abroad Businesses manufacturing and trading in embroidery in Van Lam village can now directly export their products to some countries in the world without any intermediary agencies The embroidery in Van Lam is growing and obtaining higher position in the domestic and international markets [43, pp.1249]
According to the village annals, the embroidery appeared about 700 years ago when Mrs.Tran Thi Dung began to teach the villagers to embroider
However, in order to commemorate the merit of the embroidery forefather, Le Cong Hanh, in 1987, after going to Hanoi and watching “Tu Thi communal house”, Van Lam villagers took up a collection to build a communal house next to the Van Lam wharf, under an ancient tree also named “Tu Thi communal house” The east of the temple is Cac communal house where the ancient mandarins stopped for preparation before attending the Tran kings
The temple is located in the northeast of Van Lam village and it also the starting point of the visiting tour to Tam Coc and Bich Dong According to the elderly, the incense foot in the temple is taken from the temple worshiping Le Cong Hanh, the embroidery ancestor The temple is at 2A Yen Thai Street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi Every year, in the anniversary of ancestor’s death, embroidery businesses hold a ceremony to offer incense and announce to the ancestor, and participate in other cultural activities.
Real situation of economic development
2.3.1 Situation of development and number of embroidery businesses in Van Lam village
According to records of the Van Lam trade village Association (Ninh Hai commune), the most prosperous period of the embroidery in Ninh Hai is the 1970s and 1980s With the old economic model, the scale of embroidery in Van Lam village was only at levels of households, cooperatives or small producers The production and consumption of products was not systematical
Even when the first handicraft cooperative was founded to do out work for state-run enterprises, embroidery households as members of cooperatives also enjoyed cooperative mark for work and made products with models given by the management board with low-price regulation However, with the orientation of developing an economy with more components under the market mechanism, business policies of the Party and State, the appearance of the enterprise Law, especially with the 04 resolution of the Provincial Standing Committee to strengthen the embroidery phase 2006 – 2010, a clear mechanism has created for the appearance and development of embroidery businesses When the handicraft cooperative was dissolved, Van Lam embroidery began to have a flourishes step
Table 2.1: Number of embroidery businesses from 1993 to 2010
Source: Statistics Department of Ninh Hai commune, 2010
Before the appearance of the business law, in the commune there was only one private embroidery enterprise that was Duc Truong It was founded in 1993 that formerly was the Quyet Thang embroidery group However, this enterprise only produces simple products with domestic consumption
In 1999, the business law came into society and became effective The number of embroidery enterprises in Van Lam rapidly increased, but they were mainly not state-run businesses (private enterprises and limited liability companies) In 2000, two businesses were founded that were My Huong limited liability company and Duc Vinh private enterprise The appearance of
My Huong company was worth noting as it was the first enterprise specialized in exporting high-qualified products to foreign countries This year also marked the emergence of the type of limited liability companies in the embroidery industry in Ninh Hai commune
In 2001, two more embroidery businesses were formed, including Minh Trang and Yen Nhi Minh Trang private company specialized in manufacturing embroidery items such as blankets, sheets, pillows, tablecloths, napkins, and glasses holders In addition, the business also produced quilted blankets and was a seamster Yen Nhi was an embroidery business but its business was expanded into other fields such as restaurants and tourist transport services
From 2004 to 2007, the number of enterprises operating in embroidery had a tendency to increase gradually with four more businesses Among them, there are three businesses that have now operated strongly with diversified product designs and European-standard quality products for export There markets are diversified at home and abroad They were Van Lam - Tam Coc (established in 2004), Pataco (founded in 2003), and An Phu Loc (founded in
To achieve such a good result, in addition to the help and support of department and industries to strategically develop businesses and traditional handicraft businesses, there are efforts, talent, and enthusiasm for the trade of Van Lam entrepreneurs
2.3.2 Scale and level of growth of the trade village
To determine the scale and growth of the trade village as well as its economic contribution to the village development, it should be based on the size of embroidery businesses in the village According to the survey results, there are only small and medium businesses in Van Lam now Namely, four medium-sized enterprises have a number of regular employees working from
20 to 100 with its average annual turnover from over 2.5 billion per year
Other five small businesses have less than 20 regular workers with the average revenue below 2.5 billion per year
Table 2.2: Quy mô của các doanh nghiệp thêu ren năm 2009
Number of regular employees/businesses
Source: Synthetized from the survey information, 2010
Like this, the structure of embroidery businesses in Van Lam upto 2009 is shown as following:
Graph 2.1: Structure of embroidery businesses in Van Lam
Source: Synthetized from the survey information, 2010
Most of embroidery businesses of the village of Van Lam are small and medium enterprises because they are considered satellites to big enterprises
Only a few businesses can produce and consume their products, and find their consumption markets such as An Phu Loc and Minh Trang companies The causes of this problem are mentioned below
First, the property of embroidery enterprises in Van Lam is not large
Property of the medium-sized enterprises is about VND 1.5 billion such as An Phu Loc Co Ltd., while small-scale enterprises have about VND 700 million
Hence, capital for production development is one vital factor for businesses to expand, invest in equipments, and improve workshops to develop their production
Second, businesses’ equipments and infrastructures are generally simple and deficient In some businesses, the workshops are also transaction offices and product showrooms In the village, only medium-sized embroidery businesses such as Phu An Loc, Van Lam - Tam Coc, and Yen Nhi have a fairly good system of equipments like having network connection and fax machine to facilitate transactions with customers Their head offices, workshops, and product showrooms have been drawn systematically, ensuring a convenient condition for customers to do shopping and tourists to visit and learn about the embroidery
Third, businesses’ production premises still face with difficulties For small businesses, the owners often use their private homes as places for production The production condition is limited such as narrow embroidering sits and deficient lighting system However, there are also some businesses having rather large and convenient production premises such as Phu An Loc, Minh Trang, Van Lam - Tam Coc, and Pataco
Thus, it can be seen that although the scale of the embroidery is expanded, its equipments and capital to develop the production still face many difficulties and hardships To help the embroidery of Van Lam village further develop, it is necessary to have the care of local authorities and government along with businesses’ efforts and Van Lam people
The economic structure is considered a synthetic norm to assess generally the interactive connecting relationships among economic sectors, economic compositions, and economic regions The economic structure also shows the level of economic development For instance, if an economy has a high agricultural proportion in GDP, it is an agricultural economy If the industry makes up a high proportion in GDP, that economy develops at a high level in term of scientific and technological fields If the services occupy a high proportion, that economy is developing at a high level of civilization
Van Lam trade village has a very favorable condition to promote and expand the traditional trade Van Lam people in addition to agricultural and embroidery work also involve in boat-tour tourism According to the survey results, the economic structure is more diverse with change in increasing the proportion of small-scale industries and reducing agricultural density The average increase of total production value is 9.89%
Table 2.3: Economic situation from 2007 to 2009
Source: Statistic Board of Ninh Hai commune, 2010
Real situation of social development in the trade village
Population and labor is one of the outstanding issues that are specifically cared by the society, especially in rural areas where the process of economic transfer and the implementation of industrialization and modernization in agriculture and rural areas have been carried out In our country, there are nearly 70% of the population living in rural areas They are workers directly creating materials to ensure the operation of the social apparatus Van Lam village is a rural area with very favorable natural conditions to develop both trade - services and traditional handicrafts
The outstanding feature of labor here is that the rate of women working in embroidery enterprises is disproportionately high It is because of the characteristics of the embroidery work that requires the gentleness and meticulosity, which is very suitable with women’s skillful hands and industriousness
Table 2.4: Population and labor situation of the commune from 2007 to
Source: Statistics Board of Ninh Hai commune,2010
Through the table, we can see that from 2007 to 2009, the population growth rate was not high, in which the female employee rate was over 50% of the commune workers This favorable condition develops the embroidery as it is gentle and meticulous that is suitable with women’s skillful hands
The number of agricultural households gradually reduces, while the amount of households involved in commerce and tourism has a tendency to increase from 316 households (2007) to 409 (2009) Although the number of home craft households is reducing, the embroidery has come to a stability and profound development
The structure of labor changes with the increase of proportion of workers in non-agricultural field and a decrease in agricultural labor force
The reason for such a change is because of people benefiting from tourism activities Each household has a boat for carrying the tourists In addition, making traditional embroidery products will earn more than doing farm work
Hence, the number of employees working in the agricultural sector is decreasing significantly However, if there is no coordination between the trade and tourism in the village, the number of embroidery employees is also at the risk of declining It means that the embroidery trade will be gradually felt into oblivion Therefore, to help the embroidery survive in today context, it is required an attention of all authority levels and sectors to preserve and develop this traditional craft
Van Lam is the biggest village in Hoa Lu district, Ninh Hai commune, Ninh Binh province with 1,091 households (2010) In the village, there are many lines such as Dinh, Le, Nguyen, Pham, Trinh, Do, Vu, and Chu Vu, Chu, and Dinh lines are considered the biggest ones in the village These lines deserve credit for preserving and developing the embroidery Mr.Chu Van Luong is one of the typical artisans of Van Lam who always concerns about keeping and transmitting traditional embroidery skills for the future generations
Van Lam is both a traditional trade village and a tourism village
However, there is no three-generation styled family After getting married, people are often separated in number of inhabitants in order to receive boat to involve in tourism service Hence, people here have their particular characteristic In craftwork, they are laborious and meticulous artisans; however, in the tourism service activities, they are agile, dynamic, and keen to the present situation This creates a Van Lam rural painting with different bright colors
According to a Thai Vi book written the 5 th Canh Tri year (1667) in the King Le Huyen Tong reign (1663-1671) that was copied in the 3 rd Bao Dai year (1928) in the Tran gem genealogy, after the first resistance against Nguyen - Mongolian (1258), King Tran Thai Tong was 40 years old He abdicated the throne to his son, Hoang crown prince He then came to Vu Lam mountainous area to lead a religious life and built the royal step-over place
The ancient Vu Lam mountain area is now Van Lam village in Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province In Van Lam village, King Tran Thai Tong built a small temple at the foot of the eastern mountain near the Ngo Dong River; it was inside Ca cave After seeing that this land was muddy and narrow, the King moved the small temple to Vu Lam cavern He built a new small temple named Thai Vi to worship the Buddha and Tam Thanh God Then, he moved to the place where the Thai Vi temple locates now The stone engraved inscription in the 11 th Vinh Thinh year (1715) to praise the beauty of the temple Vu Lam royal step-over place was described by King Tran Nhan Tong in the Vu Lam autumn poem as following:
There is a flower bridge shadow in the water
On the bank, there is glow of sunlight in the sunset The red leaves dropped quietly in the mountains There is a far-away bell sound in the sky
(The poetry translation of Tran Thi Bang Thanh)
Legend has it that when staying in Thai Vi small temple, King Tran Thai Tong built strong guardrooms such as Cua Quan, Go Mung, and Cua Quen Dinh Cac was the place where mandarins dressed before entering Thai
Vi small temple Ha Trao village was where the paddles were taken down; and Hanh Cung village was also home to the King Today these relics exist only in names Thai Vi temple is built on the foundation of the ancient Thai Vi temple According to the ancient Thai Vi book, Thai Vi temple existed in three reigns of King Tran Thai Tong, Tran Thanh Tong, and Tran Nhan Tong
After King Tran Nhan Tong died (1308), Thai Vi temple was the memorial place of Tran kings In the later Le dynasty, the Thai Vi temple was heavily damaged In the stele erected in the first Bao Dai year (1926) in the temple, it was said that people of the O Lam commune had repaired the temple It was handed down that the old Thai Vi temple was short and splendid with curved roof In Giap Ngo year (1714), the temple was in ruin People of O Lam raised money to repair the upper shrine and make the horizontal lacquered column of ironwood with tubular tile roof From the 1925 summer to 1926 spring, Van Lam people had finished repairing the Thai Vi temple with iron wood structure, stone columns, and brick walls The Thai Vi temple has been repaired several times until now but basically unchanged in comparison with the remodeling in 1925 Thai Vi Temple worships three Tran kings and Hien
Tu queen mother Behind the temple, there are two dragon eyes Legend has it that they are two deep holes that cannot be filled
Thai Vi Temple faces the south, and in front of it there is Ngu Mon
Passing Ngu Mon, we see two ponds symbolizing the dragon eyes Near the eastern pond there is an eight-roof campanile, and near the western pond there is a square steel with “imperial palace” architecture On the both eastern and western sides are the houses where ancient kings used to talk business Two veranda steps have two stone flanking dragons with the Nguyen dynasty style
The temple has three spaces: the front hall, the central temple, and harem
The front hall has five rooms with high figure and straight roof Behind it there are a row of stone pillars put on ancient stones; big dragons are carved around the columns At the center of the forecourt there are four big letter
“Long duc chinh cung” (The King is at the center) and two pairs of wood panels:
The country is united, aristocracy build the palace in Thien Truong
Worshipping and costumes of civil and military mandarins are in Thai
The central hall has three worshipping rooms for 12 generals of the Tran dynasty There are five rooms to worship kings, queens, and princesses
ORIENTATION AND SOLUTIONS FOR ECONOMIC AND
Assessing the real situation of development of Van Lam trade
The embroidery in Van Lam village has a long history of hundreds of years It is the cradle of the embroidery industry in Ninh Binh Through research and survey on the development of the village, we can see that Van Lam embroidery village is also in the same general context of traditional trade villages in the Red River delta During the developing process, the village has always dominated by the political, economic, and social situation Previously, due to the influences of wars and mechanism of collective economy, the embroidery in general and Van Lam embroidery village in particular, depended primarily on the government The artisans and workers were equated with each other, and they all worked for the government They depended on the government’s subsidization and product consumption
Hence, the embroidery was not developed; it was not developed; it was just a secondary job in the leisure after harvest time
However, things have changed since the appearance of the resolution of the sixth Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party With the policy of renewing the country economy by eliminating subsidized mechanism and changing to the socialism-oriented market economy, a new direction for traditional handicrafts including Van Lam embroidery village has opened, including the village of Van Lam embroidery In addition, there are instructions and legislation documents to promote, restore, and develop industries such as the 25/TTg instruction of the Prime Minister signed on 19 January 1993; in the Article 3, it is clearly said that “Investing 100% for collecting, correcting, and preserving spiritual cultural products; and preserving traditional crafts” This has created good conditions for the embroidery in Van Lam village to have opportunity to develop and create a new resilience
Ninh Binh is a province with many famous traditional handicrafts
Therefore, developing handicrafts become one of economic and social development strategy of the province, “Ninh Binh is determined to preserve traditional crafts” The provincial committee of the Party has issued many documents to preserve and develop traditional crafts such as: the 04 resolution of the provincial standing committee of the Party on strengthening the sedge growing and processing, embroidery, and stone art processing phase 2006 – 2010; the Resolution No 14 of the provincial People’s committee to promote trade for small and medium enterprises in the province to develop their wholesale, especially their export This creates opportunities for Van Lam embroidery village’s prosperity and growth
The traditional embroidery focused to develop in Van Lam has contributed to increase the export value and make a local dynamic economy
It can be said that embroidery export activities are primarily implemented through embroidery businesses locating in the locality Through signing contract with foreign partners, businesses will directly export their products, or mandate their export to intermediary embroider businesses However, in Van Lam, the mandating exports are mainly to big businesses in other provinces such as Ha Noi, Thai Binh, Da Lat, and Ho Chi Minh City Van Lam embroidery products are usually exported directly to the fastidious markets in England, USA, France, Japan, and Italy et cetera with the value from USD1,500 to 2,000 Although they are not great orders, they show great efforts of the Van Lam people into the traditional embroidery
Table 3.1: Exporting value of embroidery businesses in 2007-2009
Medium scale Small scale Quantity Rate (%) Quantity Rate (%)
Source: Synthetizing from surveyed materials, 2010
Through the above table, it can be seen that in 2007 the total export value of Van Lam was VND 19.07 billion However, the export was mainly concentrated in medium-sized enterprises This value was about 8 times bigger than that of the small businesses However, in 2008, the total exporting value decreased significantly, only VND 14.35 billion This is due to the impact of the global economic crisis that makes the number of orders decrease The export of embroidery products to fastidious markets such as western European faces difficulties However, the exporting value of medium-sized businesses is still bigger than that of the small-scale ones
Specifically, the export value of medium-sized enterprises was VND 12.6 billion, making up 87.8%, while small-scale enterprises exported only VND 1.75 billion that was equal to 12.2% However, then with efforts of the Van Lam people, the embroidery exporting operation had a sign of recovery
Although the increase was not much, only VND 16.95 billion out of the total export value, it can be affirmed that Van Lam embroidery products got a foothold in the international markets We can see that the development of traditional embroidery trade in Van Lam with the key role of businesses makes Van Lam products have their own position and brand However, the export operation is mainly concentrated in medium-sized enterprises Small businesses mostly consume their products in the locality or sell along with domestic products Only My Huong small business involves in exporting operation
If in Hue and Thai Binh, the embroidery products are colorful, they are white in Van Lam embroidery (White threads are embossed embroidered on white cloth) to keep the leading role This type of embroidery is elegant and unobtrusive, the embroiderers should have more skillful and sophisticated technique; only a small technical fault can be revealed on the embroidery foundation However, perhaps the most unique feature of Van Lam embroidery products is a harmonious and skillful combination between embroidery and lace, making the products have aesthetic and artistry features
This is the reason why foreign customers, especially fastidious ones, chose Van Lam embroidery products Exporting products such as white tablecloths, glasses holders, towels, pillows, silk blankets, and artistry are liked by international customers This is why people often think about the name
“embroidery kingdom” when mentioning Van Lam village
Priding of the historical and cultural traditions of the land, Van Lam people constantly try to enrich their homeland with the traditional embroidery
With their efforts, in 2007, Phu An Loc, Van Lam - Tam Coc, and Minh Trang private enterprises were recognized three of sixteen typical economic units in trade villages by the Association of Vietnamese trade villages This is not only the recognition of levels and industries in term of economic contribution development but it also shows the dynamic, creative, and studious characters of Van Lam people
Like other rural areas, Van Lam is a depression area Its agricultural area decreases due to the urbanization On the other hand, the income from agriculture is low and unstable; hence, people switch to traveling services and embroidery work Especially, since the appearance of embroidery businesses, economy developing at a high scientific level The economic structure gradually shifted towards industrialized and modernized direction; agricultural proportion declined while that of small industries and services increased This was shown clearly in the economic structure of Ninh Hai commune from 2005 to 2010 as following:
Graph 3.1: Ninh Hai commune’s economic structure in 2005 - 2010
Source: Summarizing report in 2005 – 2010 of Ninh Hai commune,
It can be said that with the appearance and greater development of embroidery enterprises and households in Van Lam village, the embroidery was carried out in a large-scale commodity production and the production was specialized Relying on that, the total products of the village continuously increased in both quantity and quality Many households going in for private business unprompted without stable consuming market became “satellite” for big enterprises In the past, the artisans had to throw themselves about finding consuming markets for their products Now all stages from designing, consuming products, managing quality and production techniques are implemented by businesses As a result, the annual value of embroidery grows rapidly, contributing to the value of the home industry Especially, with the development of traditional embroidery and great advantages of tourism development, the face of the village changes and is more prosper
Nông - lâm- ngư nghiệp Năm TTCN TM - DV
Income of local workers and peoples in neighbouring areas
Previously the earnings of Van Lam people mainly relied on agricultural products As the crops were good or bad depending on the weather, people’s income was not stable Time for agriculture works was fixed in several certain months Hence, apart from agricultural seasonal months, people's leisure time was much Thus, to earn extra income, they had to work elsewhere; however, the income was still not stable Therefore, when the embroidery was developed again, especially the appearance of embroidery enterprises in Van Lam attracted Van Lam labor force and they rejoined their ancestor’s traditional trade Working in embroideries businesses or doing embroidery outwork for enterprises was also creating more jobs and incomes for the people here On the other hand, as embroidery businesses located in Van Lam village in Ninh Hai commune area, people worked closely to their home This helped them save money on traveling and meals They even could still do their housework, involve in agricultural work, and take care of their children They could earn money even it was rainy or sunny to improve the quality of their family life
Table 3.2: Comparing income of embroiders and farmers
Unit: VND thousand/person/per month
Source: Synthetizing from surveyed materials, 2010
It can be recognized that there is a rather big gap in term of income between embroiderers and farmers When an embroiderer earned VND 1.515 million per month, a farmer made onely VND 675,000 per month This gap appears because in addition to money earned from embroidery work, people can still do their farming to raise their income
A special thing is that most of households in Van Lam village work in embroidery They can do this work at home, or directly work in embroidery businesses and enterprises Working at home not only takes full advantage of labor force but also contributes to raise their family’s income to support daily spendings, purchasing furniture, and investing in their children’s education
Orientation of sustainable development of Van Lam embroidery
Sustainable development aims to increase the quality of people’s life within a given ecological framework The sustainable development process tries to reach the economic prosperity, social justice, fresh ecological environment, and everlasting ensuring In the report of the World Council of environment and development with the title “Our common future” (1987), the sustainable development was understood a development that met current need but not blocking the demand of future generations As one of a country committing to implement sustainable development, Vietnam actively perform many works to create premises for the sustainable development It became a basic standpoint of the Party and State for all developments, including trade village development
Traditional trade villages in Vietnam have existed for several hundreds of years They connect closely with the national cultural characteristics and contribute to the economic and social growth In recent years, along with positive changes to adjust to the country development in the integration process into the world economy, traditional craft villages also face with great challenges, including economic development, hunger elimination and poverty reduction, social security guarantee, job solutions, and trade village environment protection in the sustainable development way
Aware of the position and role of traditional craft villages in the rural modernization and industrialization process, the Party and government has issued many policies and guidelines to develop trade villages
In 2006, the government issued the 66/2006/NĐ-CP Resolution of developing rural industries, emphasizing on the programs to preserve and develop trade villages They included preserving and developing traditional trade villages, developing trade villages connecting closely with tourism, developing new trade villages, conferring brilliant and people craftsmen titles, and famous craft village brands for organizations and individuals who are credited with preserving and developing traditional crafts and new industries in our country Also in 2006, the Ministry of Industry built and submitted to the government the strategy to develop handicrafts phase 2006-2015, in which there was a target to create regular jobs for 1.5 labor, and seasonal work for three to five workers in their leisure after harvest time; building a competitive and sustainable production system, developing handicrafts, and strengthening capacity for trade villages In 2005, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also had a project “Each village has a trade” phase 2006-2015
Its goal was promoting the advantages and potentials of localities in term of rural industries, expanding domestic and foreign markets, attracting and creating a closer relation among many sectors: government, businessmen, scientists, cultural researchers, fine arts designers, and tourism scholars who will joined hands to preserve traditional values and create new industries
From thence, rural industries will be sustainable developed, contributing to transfer the rural and agricultural economic structure in order to raise non- agricultural and service proportion, and increase people’s income Although having advantages of a traditional craft villages and good conditions to combine tourism activities with handicraft production, Van Lam trade village has not been able to do this because of some certain difficulties Hence, developing the trade villages in a sustainable way is to affirm their position and role in developing economy, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, ensuring social security, and protecting environment On the other hands, sustainably developing trade villages was also an indispensable trend that met the rule of social and economic development in accordance with the Party and Government’s policies and guidelines
To develop Van Lam embroidery village in a sustainable way, first it is necessary to mobilize the local community to participate in building action plan and combine to implement that plan; supervising the implementation of standards to assess the sustainable development; combining sustainably developing goals with goals to develop the local economy and society; and considering the sustainable development a life-work of all people with the motto “People know, discuss, work, and check”
Second, there should be care and creating good conditions from the local authority and government of various levels
Third, setting up convention for the trade village, connecting tourism activities with the development process of Van Lam embroidery; actively to improve the environment to make it green, clean, and beautiful
Fourth, closely combining between developing economy, society and protecting environment with ensuring national defense and social order and security to make the developing process fairly meet the current generation’s need without creating barrier to the future generation’s life.
Some solutions contributing to sustainably develop Van Lam
To sustainably develop Van Lam embroidery trade in an eventful market economy, we bravely propose some solutions as followings:
3.3.1 Production materials and renovating product designs
To overcome the poorness in designs and have artistic products that meet the customers’ taste and demand, especially foreign customers, Van Lam artisans should take the initiative in looking for new designs and cooperate with some painters to design the models On the other hand, the executive committee of the trade village need to combine with the governments of various levels and embroidery businesses to open courses to cultivate artistic knowledge for artisans to encourage the ability of fine arts creation
In addition to innovate product designs to meet the consumers’ taste, the product quality is also one of factors enhancing the product value and competition To have products with good quality, the embroiderers and business owners often create new designs and organize competitions to enhance the professional skills of good embroiderers and artistic embroidery products On the other hand, they must catch with the customers’ taste to make quality products With the advantage of locating near Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourism area, the development of products as souvenirs is also a good direction
Most of difficulties that traditional craft villages facing after making products are how and where to consume the products Hence, the consuming market factor has a decisive meaning in the trade village prosperity To help Van Lam embroidery products control domestic and foreign markets, embroiderers and businesses should implement the following basic solutions:
First, organizing showrooms and places to exhibit, introduce, and sell products at the production area to form a specific commodity area of the village Van Lam has an advantage of geographic position that is near Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourism area Hence, the selling can be connected at home, or on boats carrying visitors
Second, searching for markets suitable with the capacity to export products; bravely investing and looking for foreign markets; finding partners and orders to directly export products; and taking initiative in business plans
In addition, it is necessary to expand the domestic markets by participating in fairs of fine arts products, building agencies to introduce products and business units in other localities to consume and collect products
Third, expanding the product consuming market by focusing on the product quality and quality management system To make the Van Lam embroidery products have competition strength in the market, the embroiderers and businesses must pay attention to using time, product quality, and consuming price Hence, activities to improve productivity and product quality should be noticed
Fourth, participating more actively in propagandizing and popularizing products at home and abroad; setting website with rich contents and images to introduce the trade village, embroidery businesses, as well as specific and new products to help the customers better catch the information Through website, the commercial transactions can be implemented quickly and exactly
Fifth, re-building temple to worship the industry ancestor, building the tradition room of the village, village gate and market to popularize the trade village brand
The shortage of capital for production as well as better machines and equipments, improving productivity and product quality, improving techniques, and increasing the competition capacity in the market has become leading difficulties for trade villages in general and Van Lam embroidery village in particular Hence, if well dealing with capital, it will create a driving force for the village’s strong development To do this, the Party and state along with local governments should have clear policies to better the structure to fund prefential credit, simplify procedures to mortgage and borrow money to help embroidery businesses keeping their production and expanding consuming markets
On the other hand, embroidery businesses need take the initiative to mobilize money by contributing unused money from families, effectively using capital, as well as borrowing and connecting with each other to create capital, speed up the accumulating process, and reinvesting to expand business work to gain better results
In Van Lam village, there are nine businesses trading in embroidery, not including households doing outwork and working as “satellite” for other businesses There is a reality happening here that is narrow production premises while businesses want to rise up to expand production premises, programme embroidery workshops, organizing showrooms, and offices to transact with the customers more conveniently Hence, to deal with these difficulties, the local government need to create good conditions for embroidery businesses such as spending land for businesses, reducing fees of using and changing land use purposes, and reducing inconveniences in renting land
In addition, the local government needs to instruct procedures to hand over and rent land with a simpler way and shorten time to deal with these formalities Ineffectively used land should be taken back to give to embroidery businesses that need land for their production expansion
One of direct reasons influences the product quality is low technique skill of the embroiderers This limitation originates from the fact that they were not trained and educated carefully Old artisans pass away bringing with them valuable professional experience and skills Meanwhile, the youth likes to discover modern technology science rather than being completely wrapped up in embroidering Hence, training skillful embroiderers is a pressing requirement for Van Lam embroidery village It is necessary to have supports from the State and local government in expanding the training scale and diversifying forms of professional teaching and improving professional skills for the workers In the forth-coming time, the executive committee of the village needs to cooperate with businesses and local government to expand courses to train embroidery techniques for different subjects It is not stopping only at basic embroidery techniques but also expanding courses to improve the employees’ professional skills Therefore, they can make sophisticated products for export; at once, they will improve and apply new techniques to create the diversity and richness for their products The professional skills of the workers should be classified as well as their wage must be satisfactory so they can feel secure to work Even after each training course, it is necessary to summarize and orient job for the workers New workers should be sent to concentrated training courses, or joined learning and working courses so that they can quickly catch with basic techniques Alternatively, they can be taught by experienced artisans Every year, the movement of professional skill competition should be held There should be policies to encourage both in material and spirit ways for skillful workers and workers with new initiatives in work
In addition, the state and governments of various levels should to enforce official rewarding regulations and having proper treatment policies for artisans A good policy for the artisans is not only a gift in term of both material and spirit for them, but also encourages the young generation to follow their example to preserve and promote the trade village traditions At the same time, it helps the artisans have good conditions to promote their talent and preserve the traditional trade for their children
On the other hand, Van Lam is a trade village locating near Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourism area This is a very convenient to develop the traditional trade, expand market, and popularize products to all visitors However, its weakness is not connecting the traditional trade to tourism The artisans know only giving their whole mind to work Embroidery business owners are not well trained and they work mainly with their experience They do not know foreign languages; hence, it is difficult to approach to the foreign markets
The embroidery products are exported mainly under the mandated export