Friday, 18th November 2005 (4015 views)

Tourists are being offered the chance to peruse Vietnam's riches as the country's handicrafts trade fair got underway in Hanoi.

The fair – which opened its doors to the public yesterday – is displaying jewellery and craftwork from over 100 trade villages across the country, VietNamNet reported.

Visitors can spend the day browsing the fair's 150 stalls, which showcase a wide range of indigenous Vietnamese riches, including gold and silver jewellery, fine arts, pottery, silk and ornamental plants and flowers.

The fair even has a competitive element to it with an award ceremony set to single out Vietnam's finest craftsmen.

It is a top honour to scoop one of the awards as the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) only hands them out once every two years.

Handicraft is big business in Vietnam with 1.42 million households relying on the sector for their income.

The country has earned $459 million in exports from handicrafts in the first ten months of 2005 – up 11.2 per cent year-on-year according to Vietnam's Trade Ministry.

 

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