Unit 4: Life In The Past - Getting Started

To preserve and develop traditional craft villages, in recent years, the local authorities have conducted preservation of four traditional crafts: brocade weaving, silver carving, blacksmithing, and carpentry to bring about economic and social efficiency for the development of provincial tourism… Currently, the province of Lao Cai has formed the clear models of traditional villages. Cat Cat village has gradually built its brand with the forging and casting products, textiles of linens of Hmong people. The famous alcohol villages have found their footholds in the market such as Pho village corn wine (Bac Ha), Xeo village wine (in Bat Xat commune) The villages in the province have been associated with tourism spots and promote tourism development in the community, improve living standards of many families through their home business, selling handicrafts, brocade products. In the past, in the villages in Sa Pa, people mostly make their living in agriculture, forestry, but now there have been many households getting involved in tourism activities of the village. With the aim of preserving and developing traditional village linked to tourism development, most of the villages have created its own definition for tourists to learn and explore. In particular, brocade weaving is dominant, serving the needs of families and tourists. Only in Sa Pa district has 11 embroidery and weaving villages, in Ta Phin village, and San Sa Ho village with about 1000 households participating and a number of groups from the district women society, put on the market each year more than 30,000 metres of fabric. Other districts like Van Ban, Bac Ha have also formed several embroidery villages, attracting thousands of workers.