On November 20, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, together with the Thanh Oai Commune People's Committee, held the opening ceremony of the 2025 "OCOP Product Promotion, Craft Village Exhibition and Vietnamese Market Fair".

Attendees included Phung Thi Hong Ha, Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Council and Bui Hoang Phan, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Thanh Oai Commune People's Council.

In his welcome remarks, Nguyen Hong Hai, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Oai Commune People's Committee, said Thanh Oai is the land rich in heritage, blessed with natural advantages and home to diverse cultural traditions.

The commune preserves many historical treasures such as Chuong Temple and Chuong Pagoda, both associated with the famous traditional conical hat market.

The commune also hosts traditional festivals every year on the 10th day of the third lunar month, featuring folk games such as human chess and fire-cooking contests. These activities attract domestic and international visitors.

Hai said these cultural strengths give Thanh Oai a solid foundation to develop a combined craft-village tourism model, contributing to the capital's new-style rural development.

Opening the exhibition, Nguyen The Hiep, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, said this year's event takes place as Hanoi's OCOP Program continues achieving major milestones.

Hanoi now has more than 3,600 certified OCOP products, the highest number in the country, including 65 five-star products, which account for more than half of Vietnam's total.

Between 2021 and 2024, Hanoi's craft villages and rural production industries recorded average annual growth of 6.7%, generating VND15–VND17 trillion (US$569-645 million) in revenue from OCOP and handicraft products every year. This confirms the key role of craft villages in the city's trade and service structure.

Within this landscape, Thanh Oai is a cultural and craft highlight. The commune has 11 craft villages with traditional products such as Chuong conical hats, Tay Son crafts, Chung Chinh craftwork and Lien Tan handicrafts, along with processed food and agricultural products from Nga Mi Ha and Nga Mi Thuong villages. Thanh Oai currently has around 25 OCOP products across various sectors.

The exhibition features OCOP products, handicrafts, local specialties and representative rural industrial goods. It includes 80 standard booths, plus a special area showcasing OCOP products from Thanh Oai and neighboring communes and 45 booths representing the Vietnamese Market Fair.

The exhibition is also as a cultural connection where traditional values blend with modern creativity, providing space for artisans, designers and businesses to meet, collaborate and access new markets.

The event highlights government support for local enterprises and marks the beginning of stronger efforts to enhance competitiveness and bring Hanoi's OCOP and handicraft products to regional and global markets.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen The Hiep emphasized that the exhibition is also a moment to reflect on the journey of preserving craft heritage, improving product quality, strengthening brands and expanding markets.

Visitors had the opportunity to explore local crafts, engage with artisans and experience cultural highlights. The exhibition runs until November 23, 2025, at Thanh Oai Park in Thanh Oai Commune.

The following are some photos from the event.