Handicrafts in Tho Ha Ancient Village: Tradition and Change

Abstract

Tho Ha village, located in Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province, is a traditional craft village with many unique features. Since ancient times, Tho Ha had no land for agricultural production; handicraft activities occupied a key position in the village’s economy. In addition, residents of Tho Ha village took advantage of the waterway trade to develop commercial activities and services for production so that the craft village's activities became a value chain from supplying input materials to distributing products to the market. The article's content is an overview of the development of handicrafts in Tho Ha village from the past to the present, the transition from old crafts to new ones, and the craft village’s operation in the market economy. On that basis, the article discusses some issues facing the craft village’s development in the current context.