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The Depository documents 26 techniques in Vietnam; by risk level: 5 critically endangered, 19 endangered, 2 vulnerable. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
The Black Tai (Thai Den) are one of Vietnam's largest ethnic minority groups — living in the limestone valleys of Hoa Binh, Son La, and Lai Chau provinces.
The Cham people of south-central Vietnam — the descendants of the ancient Hindu-Buddhist Cham kingdom (2nd–17th century CE) — maintain a textile weaving tradition of extraordinary antiquity that was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative…
The Hmong flax-and-indigo textile tradition of Vietnam's northern highlands is one of the most complete craft chains in the database — encompassing every stage from growing flax on mountain slopes to wearing the finished garment.
The Muong people of Hoa Binh province — one of Vietnam's oldest highland groups, often described as the closest cultural relatives of the Kinh Vietnamese — maintain a cotton brocade tradition distinct from both Black Tai (CRAFT-0291) and…
The Mekong Delta ikat tradition — centered in Tan Chau (An Giang province) and practiced by the Khmer minority communities of the southern delta — produces a warp-ikat silk textile (lanh My A) of extraordinary fineness, also known as the…
The Tay people — Vietnam's largest ethnic minority group with approximately 1.8 million — produce a distinctive cotton brocade tradition concentrated in Cao Bang, Bac Kan, and Lang Son provinces in the northeastern highlands.
Van Phuc (formerly Ha Dong) is Vietnam's most celebrated silk weaving village — located 10km southwest of Hanoi, producing silk brocades continuously for over 1,200 years.
The gong culture of Vietnam's Central Highlands — practiced by the Ede, Jarai, Bahnar, Mnong, and other highland ethnic groups — was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List in 2005 as one of the first Vietnamese UNESCO nominations.
The making of traditional Vietnamese barrel drums (trống) at Đọi Tam village, Đọi Sơn commune, Hà Nam province — a craft with an unbroken village tradition said to span roughly a thousand years, credited by village legend to a 10th-century…
The Mnong and Ede peoples of the Central Highlands maintain a blacksmithing and metalwork tradition that includes the production and repair of ceremonial iron objects, agricultural tools, and the maintenance of bronze ritual objects.
Bat Trang is Vietnam's most celebrated ceramic village — located on the Red River east of Hanoi, producing ceramics continuously for over 500 years.
Bau Truc village in Ninh Thuan province is home to one of the oldest pottery traditions in Southeast Asia — a Cham women's craft that uses a completely unique forming technique: no potter's wheel, no mold, no coiling.
The inlaying of mother-of-pearl and shell (khảm trai) into lacquered wood furniture and decorative objects, centered on Chuyên Mỹ commune south of Hanoi — specifically Chuôn Ngọ village, considered the craft's birthplace and, according to…
Kim Bong carpentry village sits across the Thu Bon River from Hoi An — and its woodworking tradition, active since the 15th century, supplied the artisans who built the ancient town of Hoi An and its extraordinary layered architecture.
The Red Dao (Dao Do) people of northern Vietnam — named for the dominant red color of their traditional dress — produce one of the most visually striking embroidery traditions in Southeast Asia.
Hue royal court embroidery (thêu cung đình) is the most refined embroidery tradition in Vietnam — developed under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802–1945) to decorate imperial robes, court textiles, and ceremonial objects for the Hue royal palace.
Hoi An's silk lanterns are one of the most immediately recognizable images of Vietnamese culture — round, oval, and geometric-form fabric-covered wire lanterns in brilliant colors that fill the ancient town's streets for every full moon…
The nón lá is Vietnam's most iconic cultural symbol — the conical palm leaf hat worn by farmers, women, and children as sun and rain protection across the country.
The Mekong Delta sedge mat weaving tradition — centered in Dinh Yen village (Dong Thap province) and Long Dinh (Tien Giang) — produces the traditional Vietnamese sleeping mat (chieu) from locally harvested sedge (coi — Cyperus…
The Mekong Delta's bamboo and rattan craft tradition is the most commercially active basketry tradition in Vietnam — producing baskets, fish traps, furniture, and storage containers from multiple bamboo and rattan species in workshops…
The áo dài is Vietnam's national dress — a form-fitted, split-front tunic worn over trousers, combining the body-revealing silhouette of Chinese qi pao influence with the flowing elegance of traditional Vietnamese court dress.
Water puppetry (múa rối nước) is Vietnam's most distinctive performing art — puppets operated by hidden puppeteers standing waist-deep in water behind a split-bamboo curtain, manipulating figures through submerged bamboo rods and string…
Dong Ho woodblock printing is the traditional Vietnamese folk painting tradition of Dong Ho village in Bac Ninh province near Hanoi — producing bold, colorful images on paper made from bark using hand-carved woodblocks and natural pigments.
At the base of Marble Mountain (Ngu Hanh Son) near Da Nang, a stone carving tradition has been active since the 17th century — originating from Cham kingdom devotional stone sculpture practice and continuing through Vietnamese Buddhist and…
Phuoc Kieu village in Quang Nam province — just south of Hoi An — has been casting bronze for over 400 years, producing the gongs, bells, and ritual objects that supply Vietnamese and ethnic minority ceremonial needs across central and…
Sơn mài is the Vietnamese lacquer tradition — distinct from Korean ottchil (CRAFT-0020) and Japanese urushi in its multi-layer color technique and grinding-back process.