(VOVworld) – A procession to honor the ancestors of craft villages was held at the Hanoi-Vietnam Tourism and Craft Villages Festival at the former Thang Long Royal Citadel in Hanoi on Saturday.

Performance of folk songs at the festival (photo: baomoi.com)

The ancestors of thee traditional crafts honored at the festivals are La Xuyen wood carving in Nam Dinh province, Van Phuc silk and Bat Trang pottery on the outskirts of Hanoi.
The procession exercised, rituals which have been upheld for hundreds of years, including a palanquin procession and presenting offerings on the altar. Tran Duc Hai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, says: “Craft villages and guilds have developed a belief of worship their ancestors to show their gratitude to the people who created the crafts and taught them to all people. The ceremony promotes the craft’s popularity, culture, and economic potential, and inspires young people to uphold the traditional crafts.”

The former Thang Long Citadel was a melting pot of craft villages and skilled artisans.