Vietnamese Rattan and Bamboo Industry

The tradition & historical record

The Vietnamese Rattan and Bamboo Industry is a traditional handicraft industry that has been practiced for centuries. It is based on the use of two basic materials rattan and bamboo. Craftsmen in this industry specialize in creating a variety of handicrafts, from everyday household items to complex works of art. Products from Vietnamese rattan and bamboo villages are present in 130 countries, generating an average revenue of over $200 million per year, accounting for 14% of the value of handicraft exports. Vietnam currently has 893 villages specializing in rattan and bamboo weaving, contributing 24% of the total number of villages, including 647 rattan and bamboo villages and 246 wicker and lotus villages. Approximately 342,000 farmers are involved in the production of these products. According to the General Department of Forestry, Vietnam's exports of rattan and bamboo products in 2019 reached $474 million, up 44.4% from 2018. This is the group of products with the highest export value in non-timber forest products. The main markets include the European Union (accounting for 31.44%), the United States (19.5%), and Japan (9.3%). Vietnamese handicrafts from rattan and bamboo have the potential to account for up to 10–15% of the global market share. On the other hand, some countries such as Thailand, Taiwan, India, Russia, Chile, and Norway are gradually becoming new potential markets, opening up many opportunities for the Vietnamese rattan and bamboo industry. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Vietnamese rattan and bamboo industry”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Vietnamese Rattan and Bamboo Industry is recorded in open cultural data. The structured record cited below does not describe the practice, and this entry has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²