by Bùi Hoài Nam ON DISPLAY: A bamboo fish from the Taboo workshop, an innovative centre of the traditional craft. Photo courtesy of Taboo Hội An local Võ Tấn Tân and his craftsmen created the Taboo Bamboo Workshop in the middle of the Cẩm Thanh nipa palm forest as a sustainable bamboo craft and preservation centre in the ancient town in central Việt Nam. The workshop's skilled craftsmen make more than 200 unique traditional designs, from furniture and toys to household commodities and decorative items, under a low-carbon emissions model. “This is the first sustainable, low-carbon production site in Hội An,” according to Tân. “We create products with our hands instead of relying on mass production via machinery. Our craftsmen design new models every single day.” AT HOME: A bamboo house built by Taboo, which also offers craft tours. Photo courtesy of Taboo “Our workshop doesn’t make replicas of the same items, instead creating unique products depicting the village and Hội An as unforgettable destinations. Our innovative designs and creations are all hand-made; we only use mechanical tools to smooth the finished products Products from the Taboo workshop have been designed with recycling and environmentally-friendly consumption in mind, and Hội An has been promoting it as the first “zero” waste site in the country. “Our craftsmen come up with innovative designs from bamboo, with products including cups, toys, lanterns, electric car bodies, bicycles, furniture, and interior décor,” Tân said. “Traditional production techniques have been passed down through the generations, and most villagers have some level of experience in making handicrafts from bamboo and nipa palm leaves.” He was the first in Cẩm Thanh Village to create a bamboo bicycle and also built the first-ever bamboo electric car. The bamboo craft has been his passion and he hopes to see Cẩm Thanh become greener and a popular, well-known destination for bamboo crafts. …
Holiday time kimberly christmas tree
Red Dao ‘capital’ is mountain wonderland
The commune, with thousands of hectares of terraced rice fields and topped with the “grey hat” of Chieu Lau Thi Peak, is considered the capital of the Red Dao ethnic group, which numbers about 450,000 people in Vietnam alone. The area is also the starting point for the Chay River, which runs like a giant snake through the mountains and forests. It takes half a day riding on motorbikes to reach Tan Phong village in Ho Thau commune from Thong Nguyen commune through a 35km distance of terraced fields, forests and grass fields surrounding other Red Dao villages, Nam Khoa, and Nam Ai. Then we feasted our eyes on the green mountain forests surrounding yellow terraced rice fields shining in the sun. Our rest was marked by relaxing talks with local farmers, who were busy harvesting their fields. After long hours of bumpy travel, we finally had lunch in a homestay in Tan Phong village, which had a spectacular view over a valley. Truong Cong Dinh, chairman of Ho Thau Commune, said the focus was on developing ecological tourism, even risky tours of Chieu Lau thi Peak, while preserving the cultures of tribal people. “To further promote tourism, the authorities use financial resources from the province and districts to advertise local destinations, pay for train tourism and encourage households to open homestays,” he said. “Hoang Su Phi district authorities have called for investors to open more restaurants, hotels, hold motorbike races and establish trekking routes from Chieu Lau Thi peak to nearby primitive forests.” Trieu Mui Mui, owner of Homestay Chan Mui, one between two experimental homestays in a project titled Improving the Livelihood of Ethnic Minorities through Community-Based Tourism sponsored by Swiss-based Helvetas Intercooperation and the Center for Rural Economy Development, said her family had received hundreds of tourists in the past year. “It makes us busier, but happier, to offer guests a close look at a Red Dao family,” she said, “The guests …
[Read more...] about Red Dao ‘capital’ is mountain wonderland
Panasonic honored for most energy efficient products
The award is a testament to Panasonic's efforts over the years in technology development and product innovation towards saving and environmental friendliness Mr. Yasushi Kondo, Deputy General Director of Panasonic Appliances Vietnam Co., Ltd., proudly revealed, “Panasonic Corporation has set an environmental vision to 2050 as a long-term strategy for sustainable environmental management, towards the goal where energy creation exceeds energy consumption. Therefore, we are constantly developing technologies and improving products to raise electricity savings, increase consumers’ benefits, besides other activities to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, enhance the recycling of raw materials and the efficient use of resources, and reduce the impact of chemicals in our production. ” In parallel with the development orientation of “green” and energy-saving products within the above mentioned Panasonic’s environmental vision, in 2020, Panasonic announced its new business value proposition, welcoming the 50th anniversary of Panasonic's official operation in Vietnam (1971-2021) by officially changing from Consumer Electronic Company to Wellness Solutions Providing Company, pioneering in providing human-oriented technology trends with the mission "Passion for your health and comfort", while at the same time proposing solutions to urgent social problems in order to contribute to the sustainable development of Vietnam. Over the years, Panasonic Vietnam has always strived to realize the basic business philosophy of "contribute to society" built by the Founder, not only by gradually expanding production and business activities in Vietnam, but also by pioneering in social responsibility activities focusing on education and environment, which are considered by Panasonic as the two key areas contributing to the country's sustainable development. Typically, in the annual tree planting program "Panasonic for a green Vietnam" in collaboration with the Center for Natural …
[Read more...] about Panasonic honored for most energy efficient products
