The well-known traditional craft of Phu Vinh (Phu Nghia commune) dates back over 400 years. It has developed strongly and expanded to many neighbouring villages since 1995 and is considered by Phu Nghia commune authorities as a platform to boost the local economy.

Hoang Gia Uyen, Chairman of the Communal People’s Committee, said that all the commune’s citizens are earning their living from the industry. About 50 households have set up their own companies, each with annual turnover of billions of Vietnam dong. Rattan weaving has helped villagers to greatly improve their incomes and escape poverty, even become wealthy. Mr Uyen said that households in Phu Vinh village alone now possess 4-5 cars and many lorries.

The leadership realized the economic value of the traditional craft and laid down many policies to restore, preserve and develop it. They set their sights on overseas markets to earn much higher revenues. Phu Vinh village’s products are mainly delivered to markets such as Japan, the US and some European countries like Germany and Spain.

Products can be conveniently exported to foreign countries either by ship or air, said Nguyen Thi Giang, director of Hoa Son Company in the village. Trade with foreign partners faces few difficulties thanks to such means as telephone and email. Based on orders sent via the Internet, the company produces hand-made items and sends them to customers overseas, Mrs Giang added.

Hoa Son company, which churns out hundreds of handicrafts every month, also set up a representative office in Germany to facilitate its business activities. The nearly-60-year-old lady Giang now regrets that she could not speak English directly to western customers. Therefore, she decided to let her youngest son learn English and study in the Hanoi College of Industrial Fine Arts in a bid to take over his parents’ business in the future.

Tran Van Cuu is another typical director of the village’s companies. The young and dynamic man decided to stick to rattan weaving after working as a freelance carpenter in Hanoi and HCM City for a while. Now he has become the boss of the large Hung Cuu woven rattan export company, whose products are shipped to Japan and Europe, generating 400 jobs for inhabitants in the commune. The company has to import additional raw materials from Laos and Malaysia to meet the high demand of production.

A winner of awards from the Agriculture and Industry Ministries and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr Cuu has always contemplated effective ways to adapt to changing markets, especially in the context of the country’s global integration.

He said local businesses need to develop well in the new period of deeper integration into the world economy. He is planning to launch a website that regularly updates information on his company’s products to help other businesses to better understand the "taste" of foreign customers.

Rural directors like Tran Van Cuu are building on the age-old traditional job of developing the homeland and promoting the country’s image to the world.