The Hanoi People's Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on July 3 held a preparatory meeting for the 2025 International Festival on Craft Village Preservation and Development.

The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung and Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen.

According to Nguyen Dinh Hoa, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, the festival is one of the city's most important cultural events in 2025.

It will celebrate major national milestones, including the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's agriculture and environment sector (November 14, 1945 – November 14, 2025).

The event is scheduled to take place over five days in November 2025.

Planning has involved close coordination between Hanoi authorities and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as well as relevant departments and agencies across the city.

Key activities at the festival will include an incense-offering ceremony at Kinh Thien Palace in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, an official opening ceremony, and an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding Vietnamese handicraft products.

In addition, the festival will feature a competition for Hanoi's traditional craft products, an exhibition space showcasing the craftsmanship of artisans from Hanoi, other provinces, and international craft villages under the theme "Preservation – Development – Integration."

Several side events will also be held, including a seminar on preserving and developing Hanoi's craft villages, a nationwide competition for handicraft products, and an investment promotion conference focused on rural industries and craft village development.

Vietnam will also participate in the World Craft Festival in Kokan, Uzbekistan in 2025, as part of the activities of creative cities within the World Craft Council network.

During the meeting, representatives from various units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, including the Department of Cooperative Economy and Rural Development, the Department of International Cooperation, the Central Office for New Rural Development, and the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center, and Hanoi's departments and agencies, actively contributed ideas to the event's draft program.

Deputy Minister Hung emphasized the need to clearly define the responsibilities of all parties involved in organizing the festival.

He noted that the event is not only a cultural celebration but also an opportunity to promote Vietnamese craft villages to international audiences.

Hung stressed the importance of inviting renowned international artisans and craft villages to the festival to foster exchange, learning, and collaboration with Vietnam's own skilled artisans and craftsmen.

Agreeing with the ministry's proposals, Deputy Chairman Nguyen Manh Quyen highlighted that the 2025 International Festival on Craft Village Preservation and Development is a large-scale international event with distinctive features.

Therefore, it must be organized in a dignified, safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

The festival should create a joyful and warm atmosphere to honor national and local celebrations in 2025, while leaving a lasting impression on both local residents and international guests.

He also stressed the importance of strong communication strategies to attract widespread participation from artisans, craft associations, cooperatives, businesses, and the general public, both in Vietnam and abroad.

Festival products should be promoted through travel companies to help boost domestic and international tourism to Hanoi's craft villages.

Deputy Chairman Quyen added that the festival should showcase the rich cultural heritage of the thousand-year-old capital and reinforce Hanoi's status as a global destination for handicraft and traditional arts.

He called on the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to continue supporting the event and work with experts to finalize a detailed action plan and a clear program framework to ensure the festival's success.