If you are lucky enough to arrive at Chuong village on market day, you will happen upon a wonderful scene, the village's market ground covered with thousands of conical palm hats, known in Vietnamese as non

Many contemporary Vietnamese are proud of such traditional ceramic making villages as Bat Trang, Phu Lang, Tho Ha, Huong Canh, My Cuong, Ly Xuyen and My Thieu, whose delicate products are considered symbols of the national civilization and national historical chronicle.

Situated in northern mountainous Lao Cai province, at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level, the town of Sa Pa is not only famous as a tourist attraction and for its economic potential but also for its traditional handicrafts.

Many times ago, Nga Son (Thanh Hoa) has been well known for planting sedge and weaving mat. Even local travelers or visitors all buy the couple Mat of Nga Son as a present. It is cheap, beautiful and comfortable for sleeping... weaving sedge mat becomes the triditional handicraft at Nga Son.

In past and now, when mention to Hoi An trade village, it is always said to Thanh Ha pottery, Kim Bong carpenter village and hardly to the lantern work.

No one in the village Tay Ho (Hue) knows when the hat making began but everybody feels grateful to the job that feeds the whole village through ups and downs of history.

Chang Son fan-making village is very familiar and close to Vietnamese people. For a long time, the Chang Son fan was not only a useful utensil in daily life, but also a beautiful image appearing in many poems, on stages and in the cultural and spiritual life.

On display today at any traditional Vietnamese festival is a profusion of traditional arts and handicrafts - lacquered carvings and red and yellow ochre colours in communal houses, embroidery on flags, banners and parasols, key chains worn by women, gold and silver jewellery around children's necks, the architecture of pagodas and temples and so on, a spiritual environment in which creativity has always flourished.

The Silver-carving going with unique excellent goods is named Lang Dong Xam (Copper-Engraving Village), a well-known and age- old centre for jewelry.

Bat Trang is 13 km south-east of Hanoi. Bat Trang belongs to Bat Trang Village, Gia Lam District. This is a potteryvillage with a half-millenary historic development.

A legend says that bronze engraving and casting craft in Dai Bai village, Gia Binh District, Bac Ninh Province, was first practised by Nguyen Cong Truyen, a mandarin in the Le dynasty in late 15th century.