Along Tran Nhan Tong Street, beside Thien Quang Lake, the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival 2025 is in full swing. This year’s event, themed “Hanoi Tourism – A World Heritage Destination,” runs from April 11 to 13.
The festival features 80 booths showcasing local delicacies and traditional crafts, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. In addition to enjoying delicious food and selecting unique souvenirs, attendees can witness artisans crafting food and handmade products right before their eyes. The artisans are more than happy to share stories and insights into the traditional crafts they are striving to preserve.
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| A little girl experiences the simulated space of Van Phuc Silk Village. |
One of the most popular stops at the festival is the booth showcasing buffalo horn products by artisan Vu Thi Muoi from Thuong Tin District. Combs and bracelets made from horn catch the attention of many curious hands. Each item is meticulously carved, polished, and smoothed to a glossy, gemstone-like finish.
Mrs. Muoi represents Thuy Ung, a village famous for its buffalo and cow horn handicrafts. As she introduces her products, she enthusiastically recounts the history and heritage of her craft village.
According to her, Thuy Ung, located about 20 km south of central Hanoi, began developing its horn craft during the Lê Dynasty in the mid-16th century. Her own family has passed the trade down through five generations. While the village originally specialized in making horn combs, today’s artisans produce hundreds of different items to meet evolving market demands.
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| Exquisite horn products. |
“Our workshop sells tens of thousands of items a year, from combs and bracelets costing only a few dozen thousand dong to elaborate decorative items like horn lamps or inlaid horns valued in the tens of millions,” Mrs. Muoi shared. “Now, our products are not just sold domestically but also exported around the world.”
She added that crafting a horn product involves around 30 steps. From a raw horn to a finished comb, the process can take a whole month.
Initially, the horn must be thoroughly dried to eliminate odor. Then it is softened with peanut oil, flattened, shaped, cut, polished, decorated, dusted, and buffed. While modern machinery helps, the artisan’s touch remains essential.
In another corner of the festival, rather than attracting older visitors like the horn products, the booth of self-balancing bamboo dragonflies by artisan Nguyen Thi Xoan from Thach That District is abuzz with excited children.
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A colorful “flock” of bamboo dragonflies, dozens of brightly painted bamboo dragonflies perch delicately on tiny sticks. Even when nudged, the dragonflies sway gently without falling. In addition to dragonflies, the booth also features self-balancing bamboo birds and butterflies.
Mrs. Xoan has been making bamboo dragonflies for over 20 years. Her village, located about 20 km west of Hanoi, is home to many residents who, like her, craft these toys during the agricultural off-season.
“To create one perfect piece takes about 20 steps, from splitting and shaving bamboo to polishing, shaping, painting, and decorating. It’s meticulous work requiring patience and precision,” she explained. “Each part—the body, wings, tail—must be carefully balanced to ensure it stays upright. The most difficult step is attaching the wings to the body just right.”
Elsewhere at the festival, stalls selling green rice flakes (cốm), toy figurines (tò he), conical hats, and silks also drew steady crowds.
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| A little girl chooses a Tò He figurine. |
Visitor To Hong Tham from Kiên Giang shared her excitement: “It’s a truly impressive festival!”. After browsing the booths, she selected five items, including a standout banana-green Hà Đông silk scarf and a box of green rice cakes to take home as gifts.
Bringing his daughter to the festival, Nguyễn Ngọc Hạnh said the showcased items hold significant cultural and historical value. He believed his daughter gained valuable knowledge from listening to the artisans’ stories.
According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, the 2025 Tourism Gift Festival is part of a broader promotional campaign. The event celebrates the capital’s rich cultural heritage by using gifts to tell stories that attract and inspire tourists.
