Vietnam Handicraft Research And Promotion Center

Welcome to the website of the Vietnam Handicraft Research and Promotion Center (HRPC) - a leading non-profit, non-government organization committed to the sustainable development of artisan crafts and creation of rural economic opportunities in Vietnam.

Our website is designed to take you on a journey to famous craft villages throught the country where you will see the deep history of beautiful and intricate crafts which are the hallmark of these traditional villages where you will find hardworking, dexterious and creative qualities of the Vietnamese people.

Our intention is to not only introduce the villages, but a way of life. It is a sad fact that most of the rural poor in Vietnam are involved in farming whose income is adversely affected by both global climate change and the volatility of the international free market forced upon developing nations. As a result, many families are forced to seek other means to suppliment their farming incomes. However they face extremely limited local opportunities such as seasonal labor for better-off farmers in lieu of migrating to the overcrowded cities for menial, low pay, labor-intensive jobs. Rural income diversification, particularly through local off-farm activities is where handicrafts have traditionally played a key role in rural areas. HRPC believes the development of the handicraft sector can be utilized to improve the lives of rural farming communities, ethnic minorities with long histories in craft production, and for socially marginalized communities.

Thus, HRPC is committed to the sustainable development of artisan crafts and creation of other rural economic opportunities in Vietnam. In doing so, we have been quite successful in cooperating with Vietnamese, International and UN organizations to study and impliment a wide array of creative initiatives to encourage the development of community-driven local handicraft sectors and other community development projects throughout Vietnam with a positive affect on many lives for generations.

Thank you for your interest in HRPC

Nguyen Bao Thoa
General Director