Dong Ky wood village in search of sustainable development

Wooden products of Dong Ky craft village feature sophisticated patterns

A hub of woodwork carving and production, 70 percent of the furniture produced in Dong Ky is exported to China, while the rest is bound for the domestic market in Vietnam. However, most of its hundreds of production facilities are households of small scale with manual production methods, creating many obstacles for its development and adaptability to new market demand.

Dong Ky, just 45 minutes east of Hanoi, has been changing, with enterprises expanding scale, investing in modern machinery and equipment in production, increasing product quality and productivity. For example, local production establishments are using CNC machines in the rough carving stage, which helps increase labor productivity and product quantity.

The manufacturers are also having to adapt themselves to changing consumer tastes. Apart from traditional designs with sophisticated patterns suitable for the Chinese market, Dong Ky craftsmen are making antique imitation products in European styles.

“It is very complicated for us to produce ancient imitation products, as they require sophisticated sculptural techniques. Previously we just made the products manually, but now we use machines which help increase the productivity by 10 times; so now we can meet a large number of orders from customers,” said artisan Duong The Ty, a well-known local craftsman.

Enterprises and production facilities in Dong Ky Village have expanded production to include fine art and handicraft items. They have also invested in machines and training to improve carving techniques in order to increase production of exported goods. Additionally, they have enhanced information exchange between artisans and producers and customers around the world through trade fairs and trade promotion programs, and studied the tastes, culture and customs of target markets.