In the process of development and formation for 300 years, Saigon – Gia Dinh has always been in a strategic economic and cultural position, an important focal point, so the city port was formed very early and developed quickly. Especially, the skills of craftsmen in the city are molded from the diligence and ingenuity of many generations of Vietnamese and Chinese people gathered here.
The handicraft industry in this region started in Nguyen Lords’ period. By 1871, Nguyen Lord had ordered 62 workers working for the government and hundreds of guilds to produce goods for the daily use of people in the region and surroundings/adjacent regions, which marked the specialization of handicrafts. The products of craft villages not only satisfy the needs of daily life but are also a rich source of export and especially a work of art with cultural traditions imbued with national identity. Today, these professions are increasingly developing and still exist.
Since the French colonial, the handicrafts began the process of mechanization and compartmentalization, from small, individual and manual production to workshops and factories. In the period 1954 – 1975, industrial estates and a number of factories with modern technologies such as food processing, mechanics, and textiles were established.
From 1975 until now, Ho Chi Minh City’s industry has developed more industries and fields such as household mechanics, technological equipment, electronics, telecommunications, and other high-tech industries in both width and depth, creating a high output growth rate, having prestigious brands, quality, etc., which affirmed the role of the industrial center of the country and made an important contribution to the socio-economic development of the city.
The “Industry – Handicrafts” exhibition gives us an overview of the traditional handicraft industries that are still developing and a picture of Ho Chi Minh City’s industry today. The artifacts and images are concrete pieces of evidence for the history of the formation and development of a young city but taking a leading position for the country in terms of economic potential in the future.
