UNIT 5 HANDICRAFTS

GET IDEAS
1. How many handicraft villages have you visited? Where are they? What are
they famous for?
2. Look at the photos below. Identify the handicraft products referred to.

a. b. c.

d. e. f.

3. Match the photo with the product and the village

Photos Handicraft products Handicraft villages

a silk Dong Ho village
b conical hat Quat Dong village
c green young sticky rice Bat Trang village
d embroidery Chuong village
e folklore painting Vong village
 f ceramics Van Phuc village

Did you know

There are 3,000 traditional handicraft villages in Vietnam, performing many

professional jobs, such as pottery, weaving, traditional paintings, stone, wood…

In recent years, handicraft tourism has become very attractive to tourists traveling to
Vietnam, especially international tourists, thanks to the traditional cultural values and
the creativity in making handicraft products. vietnamtourism.vn

vietnamtourism.vn

4. Complete the Vietnam Handicraft Products Diagram

TIME TO READ

VIETNAM HANDICRAFTS
Vietnam is a country rich in handicraft products, thanks to the hard-working, dexterous, and
creative qualities of the Vietnamese people.

There are thousands of types of handicraft products. Some of these handicrafts have been
internationally recognized and popularized, such as lacquer-ware. While lacquer artists
produce a limited number of paintings and sculptures, lacquer crafts have been part of
Vietnamese life in many forms: vases, boxes, interior decorating items, jewelry, and office
products.

With about 2,000 years of history, Vietnamese products made by a community of handicraft
artists, have established a firm and growing position in the domestic and international
markets.

Woven tapestries and brocade handbags are unique works from the skilled hands of the
ethnic women living in the Northwest regions, such as Cao Bang, Lao Cai.

Embroidered articles and silk products are famous from the regions of Van Phuc (Ha
Tay), Nam Ha, Thai Binh, Hue, Da Lat (Lam Dong).

In the past, embroidery was mainly reserved for the benefit of the upper class, temples, and
pagodas. The technique of this art form was rather simple, and it involved only five colors of
thread: yellow, red, green, violet, and blue.

Presently, embroidered goods serve both useful and decorative purposes. New
technologies have helped to produce new materials, such as white cloth, lampshades, and
lace. As a result, the embroidery industry has developed and there is now a wide range of
new products including pillowcases, bed sheets, and kimonos. The most skilled type of
embroidery is the production of portraits, which requires using up to 60 different colors of
thread.

It is believed that embroidery originated in Quat Dong Village in Ha Tay Province.

Wool tapestries from Hanoi and Hai Phong, and jute tapestries from Hung Yen, Hai
Phong, Hanoi and Thai Binh, are much sought after.

Ceramic and porcelain items have been produced in Vietnam for a long time. Ceramic
and porcelain products glazed by traditional methods into beautiful art are well known in Bat
Trang (Hanoi), Dong Trieu, Thanh Ha (Quang Ninh), and Hai Phong. Copperware is
fabricated by the skillful hands of coppersmiths in Ngu Xa (Hanoi), Dai Bai (Bac Ninh), Dong
Son (Thanh Hoa).

Jewelry products and metalwork are concentrated in Hanoi, Thai Binh and Hung Yen,
while stoneworks are mainly produced in Da Nang (Five Element Mountain Region).

Wood products and wood carvings can usually be found in Phu Xuyen (Ha Tay), Dong
Ky (Bac Ninh), Hai Phong, and Hue.

Since the 1980s, the production of fine wooden articles has experienced a strong revival.
These works of art have been much sought after in both domestic and foreign markets. The
most popular of these products are wooden statutes and sets of wooden chairs, cabinets,
and beds.
Currently, there are many companies dealing in the production and sale of wooden items.
Their skilled employees have produced many beautiful and highly appreciated products.

Bamboo products

Bamboo and rattan (tre, may,

and song) are abundant
sources of material used by
Vietnamese handicraftsmen.
The advantages of these
products are that they are light,
durable, and termite resistant.

Bamboo and rattan products from Vietnam first appeared on the world market at a Paris fair
in 1931. Since then, more than 200 items made from these materials are sold overseas.
Among the most popular are baskets, flower pots, lampshades, and bookshelves.

Lacquer-ware 
 Lacquer-ware is really typical to Vietnam,
although it also exists in other Asian
countries. It is said that the resin extracted
from the trees in Phu Tho Province is the
best one. As such, the lacquer-ware
products made in Vietnam are very beautiful
and durable.

As early as the 18th century, people in Nam

Ngu District in Thang Long (Hanoi)
specialized in making lacquer-ware
products. In its early stages of development,
lacquer-ware contained only four colors:
black, red, yellow, and brown.

However, due to improvements in technologies in later years, additional pigment colors

were made, therein, creating a wider range of lacquer colors.

Currently, Vietnamese made lacquer-ware products are essential in both the domestic and
foreign markets. The renowned products include wall paintings, flower vases, jewellery
boxes, trays, chessboards, and folding screens.

Mother-of-pearl inlaying

Craftsmen performing inlaying use different

types of oyster shells and pearls, which
offer a wide array of colors. This art form
requires a lot of effort as the process of
inlaying involves numerous stages,
including designing, grinding, cutting,
carving, chiseling, and polishing.

Inlaying is widely used in the furniture

industry to make tables, desks, chairs,
picture frames, and trays that portray
various ancient tales.

These tales are displayed as scenes of nature, such as birds, butterflies, lotus ponds, and
banana trees.

The process of inlaying furniture has increased the value of wooden articles. According to
legend, this handicraft originated in the Chuong Village in Ha Tay Province.

Stone Sculpture
 Most of the traditional sculptures are made
in Da Nang Province, more specifically near
Ngu Hanh Son Mountain located between
Quan Khai and Hoa Khe villages.

Sculptors use marble to carve various

articles of high value, including bracelets,
ash-trays, Buddha statues, ornamental
flowers, leaves and trees, and animal
statues, such as cats and peacocks.

Copper Casting

Copper casting is one of the most famous and enduring

traditional art forms of Vietnam. With the help of
technology, several ancient copper items from all over the
country have been preserved. Approximately 3,000 years
ago, ancient Vietnamese discovered how to cast copper
to make brass tools, weapons, and ornaments; therein,
initiating the metal age. Some brass statues that have
been preserved serve as proof of the blooming period of
copper casting in Vietnam. In later years, pursuing their
forefathers’ talents, handicraftsmen created many
innovative brass products that suited the needs of society.

Some of the most famous copper pieces known today include a series of brass drums that
were cast over centuries. As well, there are brass artifacts currently exhibited in Hue, such
as a bronze kettle at the Imperial Palace (1659-1684), the bronze plaque of Thien Mu
Pagoda (1677), the bell of Thien Mu Pagoda (1710), the Nine Cannons (1803-1804), and
the Nine Dynastic Urns (1835-1837).

Today, only a few copper casting villages remain, such as Ngu Xa in Hanoi, the casting
quarter near Hue, and Phuoc Kieu in Quang Nam.

Bat Trang Ceramic

Village
A. ________________
Bat Trang, a small village in the north of Vietnam, is about 13 kilometers south east
of Hanoi center, on the other side of Chuong Duong Bridge. Why is it popular to
most tourists of northern Vietnam? The answer is its famous, high quaility ceramic
and pottery products. If you know anything about Vietnam, you may not be
surprised that Bat Trang’s vases, bowls, dishes, and many other kinds of ceramic
products have been exported worldwide.
B. ________________
Several documents say that Bat Trang village was established in either the 14th or
15th century. However, according to the villagers, the village started much earlier
than that. The villagers have two stories concerning the origin of the village. One of
these tells that under the Ly dynasty, in the year 1100 there were 3 scholars who
went on a mission trip to China. While in China they learned many things about the
ceramic craft industry. When they returned to Vietnam they taught the people of
Bat Trang. The other story dates back to the 10 th century, when King Ly Cong Uan
relocated the capital in Thang Long. With the establishment and development of the
capital, businessmen and crafters from many areas come to settle down in the area
to work and trade. In Bat Trang, there was a lot of white clay, so that many potters,
among whom was Nguyen Ninh Trang family, came and built kilns. Accordingly,
Bat Trang has gradually changed from a normal ceramic and pottery village into the
famous ceramic and pottery center that it is today.
C. ________________
To produce a complete product, one must follow 3 steps. The first step is making a
frame. The artists select the clay, treat it and start making a raw product. It must be
molded to get the best appearance. Secondly, they decorate and cover it with
glazes. Last but not least, the raw products are baked in a kiln for 3 days and 3
nights. There are several kinds of kiln, yet the temperature must be at 1200 or 1300
degrees Celsius. After baking, products are brought out, classified and repaired in
case there are mistakes.
D. ________________
Bat Trang products are divided into 3 kinds based on the purpose of use.
Decorating the product
Utilitarian wares: including plates,
bowls, teacups, kettles, wine bottles,
flowerpots, vases, jar… What differs is
that they are thicker than Chinese ones.
Religious wares: comprise lamp stands,
candle holders, incense burner, altar
boxes, swords… These are valuable for
collectors because of inscription of the production years, the names of the
producers and the potters.
Decorative objects: house models, altars, statues and architectural fixtures
E. ________________
The special trait is the varied decorations on the products. Thanks to a long–lasting
history and development, the village’s works have been accumulated with a lot of
different special designs. One more thing that makes them distinguished is the
glaze, which is of high quality and a variety of colors, such as blue, brown, white,
and moss green.
F. ________________
In fact, there have appeared a number of competitors both domestically and
internationally who take advantages of high technology. Yet most customers prefer
the craft products that contain historical and traditional values.
Hence, Bat Trang ceramic village has become a popular destination for people
living in Hanoi and foreign tourists who want to understand more about the
historical and traditional values in each handicraft product.
(Adapted from vietnam-beauty.com)

1 Match the headings (1-6) with the paragraphs (A-F)

1. Diversified decoration
2. History
3. Introduction
4. Production process
5. Famous ceramic and pottery products
6. Unchangeable values
2 How is a ceramic product made? Complete the chain diagram below.

Process of producing a complete ceramic product

Select Treat it to make the ______________

suitable make a _____
______ product

decorate, cover it with ______

________ the raw product in 3

days and 3 nights in the ______
in ___________ of 12.000/13.000
 The products are brought out,
Perfect products
_____________ or __________.

3 Find words in the texts that match these meanings

1. ceramic a. coating, cover

2. scholar b. inhabit, set up house
3. settle down c. academic, specialist
4. glaze d. be made of clay
5. kiln e. designed to be useful rather than attractive
6. utilitarian f. mount up, collect, gather
7. cult g. for worship or religious purpose
8. accumulate h. locally, internally
9. domestically i. handicraft, handiwork
10.craft j. furnace
4 Read the article again and answer the following questions
1. Where is Bat Trang Ceramic village?
2. What is it famous for?
3. When was the ceramic village originated?
4. How many kinds of Bat Trang products?
5. What makes Bat Trang products distinguished?
TIME TO LISTEN

1
Dong Ho Village with its famous folk paintings has become an aesthetic symbol
in Vietnam culture. Listen to a talk about Dong Ho folk paintings. Answer the
questions.
1. Where is Dong Ho village located?
2. What kind of paper are Dong Ho folk paintings printed on?
3. What special about this kind of paper?
4. How many colors are used in the paintings?
5. What are the main themes of Dong Ho painting mentioned?
 2 Listen again. Complete the extract with the missing information.
1

Dong Ho paintings are printed on Do or (1) _________ ____________

The papers are then coated with a (2) ________of paste or pine resin
mixed with (3) ________ to create a bright and slightly glittering (4)
______________.
There are (5) _________ main colors used in the paintings: black, green,
indigo, red and yellow, which are made of natural materials so they are
very (6) _______________ , and as natural as the natural colors of
flowers and trees
Dong Ho folk paintings feature (7) ______________ in 5 categories: (8)
___________, history, blessings, daily use and story-telling. The topics
include people’s daily activities and production. They portray (9)
_________ ___________, landscapes, and activities that imply wishes
for happiness, wealth, bumper crops and effective husbandry.
Dong Ho folk paintings have become a (10) __________ of the Kinh
Bac region. Bac Ninh province is filing a dossier to (11) _________
Dong Ho folk paintings as a (12) ___________________ recognized by
UNESCO.

TIME TO SPEAK
Dong Ho Painting is a kind of Vietnamese folk painting originating in Dong Ho Village in
Song Ho Commune, Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh Province. Dong Ho paintings have
about 300 years of history in the north of Vietnam.
Dong Ho pictures are printed on a special kind of Dzo paper. The printing paper is made of
bark of a tree called “Dzo”. Artists use pine leave brushes to coat Dzo paper with sea bivalve
mollusk powder to create a sparkling colorful background. Colors of the painting are refined
from various kinds of tree leaves, which people can easily find in Vietnam. Traditional artists
use all-natural colors for their pictures: burnt bamboo leaves for black, cajuput leaves for
green, copper rust for blue, pine resin for amber, and crushed egg shells mixed with paste for
white. The painting is covered by a layer of sticky rice paste to protect the painting and their
colors. They are so long lasting, so that it is very difficult to make them dimmer even time or
daylight.

Dong Ho Painting has produced hundreds of famous works such as the romantic and
humorous “Catching coconuts”, “Teacher” which captures old educational practice and
“Jealousy scene” satirizing the polygamous system. But the most famous ones are the
pictures of pigs with Ying and Yang circles on the bodies. People in the countryside used to
buy Dong Ho pictures for decoration during Tet.

In the past, December was the month households started to produce pictures for Tet. Dong
Ho pictures were sold at most rural markets. Those who went shopping for Tet never failed to
bring home several Dong Ho pictures, believing they would bring good luck.

A Dong Ho painting is simple, symbolic, broad-minded and humorous. Viewers may not see
the message at first glance but if they look more carefully, they will find that the paintings are
very human. It reflects both reality and dream of the people.
Regarding themes of Dong Ho painting, it should be noted that the folk picture is a fine
reflection of daily life, culture values, social philosophies and human aspiration for a
better life in years coming; therefore, everyday life, folk allegories, social commentaries,
mythical and historical figures, signs of happiness, luck, prosperity are main subjects of
the painting. If you would like to
- wish your beloveds prosperity, happiness and luck, pictures named “Lon dan”, “Ga
dan”, “Chan trau thoi sau”( Playing flute on a buffalo) would be your best choice for a
gift.

- be interested in Vietnamese social commentaries, pictures of “Hung dua”, “Danh ghen”,

“Dau vat” are good choices.

- desire for glory and prosperity, pictures of “Baby boy holds chicken” and “Baby girl holds
duck” paintings are the ones you can choose.
- just be fond of Vietnamese legendary figures, try “Ba Trieu”, “Thanh Giong”;

- fall in love with Vietnamese folk stories “Dam cuoi chuot”, “Truyen Kieu” are for those
who.
Each painting usually had four to five colors, which meant the painters had to prepare that
many woodblocks. The yellow was printed first and the paper let to dry before the green and
the red patterns followed. Black was always the last color to be stamped.
Describing a handicraft product
A Dong Ho folk woodcut painting
 paper
theme

figure

color
“Mice Wedding”
1. Match the painting with the appropriate theme.
Dong Ho folk paintings feature 180 topics in 7 main categories: worshipping,
blessings, history, story-telling, legendary figures, scene, and daily use.

Dong Ho painting Theme of Dong Ho folk painting

a. Lợn đàn (corpulent pig with suckling 1. Wishing prosperity, happiness and luck
piglets) 2. Reflecting Vietnamese social
b. Đám cưới chuột (Mice wedding) commentaries
c. Hứng dừa (Catching coconut) 3. Reflecting Vietnamese legendary
d. Đánh ghen (Jealously) figures

e. Chăn trâu thổi sáo (boy sitting on a 4. Reflecting daily life and daily activities
buffalo and playing flute) 5. Worshipping
f. Đấu vật (Wrestling) 6. History
g. Đàn gà (Chicken Family) 7. Scene

2. Paper and color

 How do you describe the Dong Ho painting paper?
 How do the artists create the natural colors of their paintings?

USEFUL LANGUAGE
 The theme: The painting represents/ reflects/ illustrates the wish for prosperity and happiness
The figures:
 Đám cưới chuột (Rat's wedding) is a famous painting which features a wedding march
of rats with the rat bride and groom and other rat guests delivering gifts to a big cat in
hope that the cat will leave the happy "couple" alone.
 …celebrates daily activities.
The paper:
 The painting are printed on / are created on …
 The printing paper is made from …
The color:
 The black color is taken from …
 … is created by powder of…
 … is made from a powder mixture of…

3. Choose one of Dong Ho folk paintings and describe it. The USEFUL
LANGUAGE can help you.

TIME TO WRITE
Make meaningful sentences to introduce about Van Phuc Silk village
Silk - Van Phuc village
1. Van Phuc silk village / situated / the bank of Nhue River / about 10km
southwest /Hanoi Old Quarter.
……………………………………………………………………………………
2. Van Phuc village/ renowned / its traditional weaving and premium quality silk
products.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Van Phuc / most ancient silk village,/ over 1,200 years of history.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
4. It produces the best silk in Vietnam.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Van Phuc silk is known for its smooth, lightweight and elegant appearance.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
6. A traditional kind / silk / called ‘Van Silk’, / which / been / traditionally / produced
/ Van Phuc / very insulative.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………..
7. This kind of silk/ the ability / make the person wearing it / feel cool /during /
summer / and / pleasantly warm / winter.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………..
8. Van Phuc silk producers / expand / their silk garment goods / include/ embroidered
silk / wrinkled silk / double layers of silk / and / a wider variety / silk colors / to
satisfy / varied demand / their silk.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………..
FOLLOW-UPS
Discuss and answer the following questions
1. What is handicraft?
2. What are traditional handicraft products of Vietnam? Describe one.
3. How can handicrafts help develop tourism of a country?