Among the approximately 70 traditional villages living on practicing crafts in Hue, the craft of making parasols is a special one. Beyond the meticulous craftsmanship required in the crafting process, this craft is also special because the finished products carry profound symbolic value in the local cultural life. Far exceeding their practical function of shielding from sun and rain, the parasols serve as markers of order, ritual, and reverence.

Over the past few days, people from villages across Dan Dien Commune have been encouraging one another to visit the floating fish farms along the Bo River to buy fish in support of local farmers. Some families bought a few fish, others only one, but everyone said the same thing: “It’s just our way of sharing a little of their hardship”. That’s all they could do, as the recent floods had wiped out tens of tons of fish raised by families living along the Bo River.

According to the information announced by the leaders of the Department of Industry and Trade, on the morning of October 27, in the framework of the Autumn Fair 2025, which is taking place in Hanoi, over 30 businesses, cooperatives, craft villages, and industry associations in Hue City are participating in displaying and introducing their products in the event.

The stretches of forest in A Luoi not only shelter the villages, but also have now become the livelihood foundation for locals. The Emission Reductions Payment Agreement (ERPA) in the North Central Region has helped people in the mountainous areas gain stable extra income, and more importantly, changed their perspective: Protecting the forest is not just a responsibility, but a right associated with their daily lives.

Unable to rely solely on love for the craft or pride in the past, Hue’s craft villages must step beyond traditional pathways toward a new journey: Transforming production thinking, applying technology, embracing green transition, elevating quality, and telling cultural stories in more modern ways.

With the development trends of the new era, many craft villages have fallen into decline, with fragmented production, a lack of capital, and outdated technology. These difficulties are major barriers that cause traditional crafts to lose their place in today's socio-economic life gradually.

For centuries, the land of Hue has been renowned for the skillful hands of its artisans. This region is a place not only preserves the cultural heritage of the imperial court, but also serves as the cradle that maintains and develops hundreds of unique traditional craft villages. However, in the face of global integration trends, Hue’s craft villages are confronting numerous challenges.

More than just creating a space to promote and support craft villages on-site and bring Hue’s specialties farther afield, the young founders of Dac san Kinh Do – Songcentre Hue (Imperial Specialties – Hue Living Center) brand also embed a story in each product and apply technology to production, with the aspiration to fulfill the mission of inheriting and renewing traditional crafts so that Hue’s craft village brands can take off and expand their markets.

From May 4 to 13, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) is coordinating with the People's Committee of Hue City, Tourism Development Support Fund, Vietnam Airlines, and partners to organize a program introducing Vietnamese tourism, traditional craft villages, and cuisine, and connecting businesses on the occasion of the National Tourism Year - Hue 2025 in three European countries, including Italy, Switzerland, and France.

There is one phone number that most people in the villages of the border commune Lam Dot (A Luoi) know by heart: the phone number of Major Doan Xuan Phuoc, a military medic of the A Dot Border Guard Station, who is currently stationed at the combined military-civilian clinic of the commune.