Brocade industry in need of new approach

John MacDonald, Australian, Ha Noi

They are presumably sought out by most visitors, that is why they can be found on sale in such places as Ha Noi's Old Quarter, in Hoi An and various places in HCM City. Their production is dependent on sales and business seems to thrive.

Handicrafts become a bit thinner on the ground in the countryside, presumably because there are insufficient tourists to warrant shops. However, in places such as Sa Pa, the ethnic H'Mong make beautifully embroidered material made up into clothes, bags and such handy things as mobile-phone carriers. The work is wonderfully done and the threads are usually woven with vegetable, herb and other natural dyes, including woad, the purply-blue stuff that made the ancient Britons so frightening in battle.

But then what happens? Some enterprising non-H'Mong person hops over the border to China with some samples and, presto, miles of low-quality, machine- made copies are flooding the market. They are terrible, but the goggle-eyed visitors don't know until they see the real thing.

As a suggestion, why not sell the individual tribal and folksy products in central stores in major cities and towns. This would save the poor country folk from wasting lots of money on building pavilions and reception areas for tourists who rarely arrive or buy in sufficient numbers to warrant the outlay.

It could also provide visitors to Viet Nam with authentic, well-crafted products from all the hill tribes from north to south. And if you're wondering what these products might be, take a wander through the history museums in Ha Noi or HCM City – or in certain shops in the Old Quarter where priceless objects, religious paintings, and ancient shamanistic tools of trade are being sold. Their disappearance from Viet Nam is a tragedy.

The sad truth is that hill people are quickly losing their identity and ancient crafts, as they are thrust into the 21st century. The trick must be to keep one foot in the old world and the other in the new.

James Godber, British, Ha Noi

Traditional handicrafts are dying out across the world, which unfortunately, is probably a sign of the changing times. Some Vietnamese brocade is beautiful within its own right, but the practicality of it today is limited. The few products that I have bought have been more for the novelty factor than anything else, and mass production is starting to cater for those with a penchant for traditional ethnic design.

In your original question, you mentioned that brocade products were no longer attracting enough attention from tourists, so even if there were government incentives to produce the crafts, the fact remains that there is no longer a sustainable market for the craft. It's sad to lose these traditional crafts, and I don't think we should let them go without a fight. Unfortunately though, we may just be delaying the inevitable.

Corin Berry, British, Ha Noi

To be frank, I am singularly unimpressed with much of the handicrafts on sale in Viet Nam. I've lived in Asia for a number of years, and there is little here I would wish to buy. This fact was brought home to me four years ago when an English friend of mine was getting married in Thailand before returning to England to settle down. I wanted to get him a wedding present that reflected Vietnamese culture, but nothing corny like a conical hat.

I immediately thought of Vietnamese handmade poonah paper (giay do) made from the Rhamnoneuron plant, or perhaps lacquer – though the later was a relatively recent development. But I had some time, so I spent a few days trawling the shops of the Old Quarter, but I was left disappointed.

Sure, there are numerous art shops, and some very good artists out there. But I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars. In terms of arts and crafts, however, there was nothing worth buying – in my price range at least.

It's a common refrain among tourists. Travellers returning home from a holiday in Thailand are happy to spend their last baht on clothes, handicrafts and jewellery but it's not the case in Viet Nam. The desire to empty their wallet of unnecessary currency is there, but there is very little worth buying (or which can't be bought at home for the same price or less – such as designer goods).

Nguyen Nhi Nhi, Vietnamese, Ha Noi

After reading an article saying every ethnic minority has its characteristic motif in brocade products, buying brocade products as gifts for my relatives and friends is now one of my habits when travelling.

Finishing a piece of brocade weaving is a long and skillful process for ethnic women. In my opinion, the brocade products on sale in souvenir shops in mountainous areas do not have high quality. They don't look like what you see in books, magazines or TV programmes.

One of my friends said that it's hard to find a brocade product made by ethnic women in such shops and many brocade products on sale are made in lowland provinces and transported to mountainous areas to make a profit.

Meanwhile, true brocade products made by ethnic women have little chance to come to people who are really fond of them.

I think brocade products can impress domestic and international tourists and it's imperative to set up better management from authorised agencies to connect supply and demand.

Huong Thieu Huyen, Vietnamese, Ha Noi

In Viet Nam handicrafts are made as souvenirs to sell to tourists and can introduce cultural characteristics of the country. However, I feel sad to hear that tourists are losing interest in such souvenirs.

The reason is that we don't show tourists the cultural value in these products. We mostly focus on selling the finished product, while the cultural values are usually presented in the process to make it. I think if we show visitors how to make these things - with video clips or letting them join in - then they will appreciate them more. Tell them the stories that relate to the crafts, so they can tell others. Everytime I'm told about a place and its speciality or traditional craft, I want to try and make them.

They will be eager to try and will feel success when master something new. If it's complicated and difficult to make, they will appreciate the skilled craftsmen even more.

Some people think it's necessary to change the traditional patterns and designs to meet tourists' taste and make a bag from brocade or embroidery pieces to hold mobile phones, for example. I think this is a bad idea because tourists prefer original products, which have been used for hundreds of years. I buy souvenirs to remind about the place, the culture and the people, not just whether it's functional.

Whenever I travel in Viet Nam, I see similar souvenirs on sale, most of them are imported and they are not special or unique to the places at all. To attract tourists, it's vital to show the different types of handicrafts. I think the tourism authority should pay more attention to this, and craftsmen should stay true to their crafts. — VNS