The fire in Bat Trang village has burned for 700 years. For centuries, the village's identity was a plume of black smoke from coal-fired kilns—a signal of life, but also a source of illness. Today, the air is clean. The shift to modern gas kilns and lead-free glazes wasn't just a marketing move to meet "green" export standards; it was an act of survival. This single pivot captures the story of Vietnam's craft revolution: a delicate dance between ancient heritage and the hyper-modern demands of a global supply chain.
THEN: The Polluting Tradition
For 700 years, traditional coal-fired kilns were the standard, leading to significant air pollution and respiratory illnesses for artisan families.
NOW: The Sustainable Pivot
The adoption of clean gas kilns and non-toxic, lead-free glazes protects artisans' health and meets strict international environmental standards, opening up new global markets.
Bridging the Gap
For decades, the path to market was broken. Artisans with generations of skill were forced to sell to middlemen who bought low and sold high, leaving producers with little. This broken model led many to abandon their craft for factory work. The challenge was to build a new bridge.
The Old Model: The Middleman Chain 💔
Low Price
Takes Most Profit
High Price
The New Model: The Direct Bridge 🤝
Fair Wage
Authentic Product
From Local Hands to Global Clicks
The most dramatic shift is happening on smartphone screens. In villages like Binh Lu, artisans who had "never gone live before" are becoming digital entrepreneurs. By filming their process and telling their stories on platforms like TikTok, they are connecting directly with customers and transforming their local economy.
Binh Lu Village: Vermicelli Sales Income (Per Kg)
Selling through traditional channels earned producers a low, fixed price. By selling directly to consumers via e-commerce livestreams, one household sold an entire ton, more than doubling their income per kilogram.
The New Cultural Supply Chain
Success is built on a new ecosystem where artisans are supported by a network of enablers. From Fair Trade NGOs to professional associations and e-commerce giants, this network helps artisans focus on their craft while providing access to global markets. The world is no longer just buying a product; it's buying a story.
The Modern Artisan's Support System
(Fair Trade NGO)
(Exporters Assoc.)
(e.g., Mekong Quilts)
(e.g., TikTok Shop)
Maztermind
A modern Ho Chi Minh City design team reimagines centuries-old lacquer traditions to create high-end, artistic board games for a global audience.
KYMVIET
A powerful social enterprise where disabled artisans craft intricate and beautiful stuffed animals, connecting their unique skills directly to consumers.
Van Phuc Village
This 1,200-year-old silk weaving village leverages its status as a "National Intangible Cultural Heritage" to build a powerful brand story for tourists and exporters alike.
Data Sources
This infographic is based on the following reports and narratives that capture the evolution of Vietnam's craft industry.
- Viet Source Handicraft
- Mekong Quilts
- Craft Link
- Vietcraft (Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association)
- Maztermind
- KYMVIET
- Reporting on Binh Lu Village E-commerce
And so the story of Bat Trang, where the 700-year-old fire still burns, is the story of modern Vietnam. Only now, it burns clean. The soul of the craft has been preserved, not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing, and competitive part of the global economy.
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The Entrepreneurial Bridge
A new generation of entrepreneurs and social enterprises decided to become that bridge, founding organizations with a dual mission: go global to grow local, and prove that sustainable, ethical business is good business.
Viet Source Handicraft
Founded by Mrs. Hong Quang and Nguyen Le Phuong, this enterprise cuts out intermediaries to raise artisan incomes. They built a vertically integrated model, developing their own sustainable raw material zones for rattan and bamboo.
Mekong Quilts
This social enterprise provides stable, work-from-home employment for underprivileged women by providing quilting kits, allowing them to care for their families while earning a fair income.
Innovation from Waste
These enterprises drive sustainability by transforming local challenges into high-value products, a perfect example of the "frugal mindset" of Vietnamese craftspeople.