To make tourists remember Bac Ninh forever

Tourists listen to an introduction to Dong Ho folk paintings.

Each product and tourist souvenir is like a cultural ambassador, promoting the image of the destination and keeping tourists longer. Not only increasing the economic value of the tourism industry, souvenir products are also one of the solutions to introduce the image of the province to the outside, reminding visitors of the deep impression of their homeland Bac Ninh.

Bac Ninh attracts visitors mainly through cultural and spiritual tourism. However, after each tour, it is not easy for visitors to find suitable souvenirs with unique characteristics of Bac Ninh to leave a cultural mark and remember the relics and destinations forever... Coming from Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Cao Thanh Huong, a tourist visiting Dau Pagoda, confided: I have special feelings and impressions of Kinh Bac culture. Every time I go to Hanoi, I arrange time to visit historical and cultural relics. Many times I wanted to buy souvenirs for colleagues and relatives, but it was very difficult to find a satisfactory gift at the destinations in Bac Ninh! Most of the relics such as Dau Pagoda, But Thap Pagoda, Kinh Duong Vuong Tomb, Phat Tich Pagoda, and even Do Temple... all have similar gift products, nothing really special or impressive.

Bac Ninh is a solemn ancient land, rich in sediments, rich in tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Dozens of traditional craft villages of Bac Ninh with hundreds of designs from pottery, bronze, rattan, bamboo, sophisticated wooden handicrafts... if connected and sold in shops in tourist areas can become souvenirs to attract tourists. Or tourist attractions in the province can also order products with their own cultural features associated with historical and cultural stories of relics and localities to create lasting impressions on tourists...

In 2019, the Bac Ninh Trade and Tourism Promotion Center organized the "Tourism Product Design" Contest with the requirement that the product reflect the culture, historical relics, scenic spots, landmarks, and typical symbols of the province. The products must also ensure artistry, be highly general, be usable for a long time, create a deep impression, not duplicate the ideas of existing symbols in Vietnam or around the world, and not be similar to souvenir products in other localities.

In addition, the product design must be compact, easy to produce in large quantities, with harmonious colors, clear patterns, easy to express in printing, carving, embossing, enlarging, and reducing on common materials, prioritizing products with environmentally friendly and locally available materials such as rattan, bamboo, wood, stone, ceramic, porcelain, etc.

In fact, in Bac Ninh for many years now, the story of searching for and expanding the market for tourist souvenirs with characteristics that reflect the cultural imprint of the land and people of Bac Ninh has always been of interest. Developing a rich and diverse range of typical souvenir products at destinations will encourage tourists to spend more, create an impression, increase attractiveness to tourists, stimulate tourism, create more jobs for workers in craft villages, and contribute to preserving the traditional professions of each locality. According to experts, in order to "awaken" the market for tourist souvenirs and gifts, localities need to have a methodical and professional investment strategy from intellectual resources, brainpower, encouraging creativity, to business strategies for production, distribution, market development... with the participation of many social sectors. One of the important issues that need the State's attention is the mechanism, policy, support for premises, capital sources, registration of intellectual property rights, attracting socialization...

V. THANH