Hue city completes its souvenir gift collection

Thanh tra is a famous specialty of Hue city but it has not had an appropriate packaging to increase its value

After two successful designing contests for Hue souvenir gift products, dozens of products with beautiful designs, high usability and technology came into being and added to Hue gift souvenir collection; and at the same time, it was a motivation for organizations and individuals in and out of the province to get involved in designing activities. Since then, many products with high application value and sophisticated designs were produced to serve tourists’ demands and as gifts to the provincial partners, including the Ngo Mon-Hue Citadel 3D embroidery painting, Hue architectural model set in Japanese Kirigami style, desk snail-inlaid wooden plates of “Cửa Ngọ Môn Huế” (Hue’s Noon Gate), Zèng Brocade Jewelry set...

In June 2018, Hue City People's Committee continued to organize a contest to select gift designs with an inspiration from Hue’s logo and packaging designs for the sesame sprinkled candy and Hue Thanh tra. The contest aimed at finding new, unique and innovative gift products from Hue logo;  and improving quality and forms of packaging specialty products. Up to present, the contest has received 44 products and designs, including 28 gift designs inspired from Hue logo and 16 packaging designs for the sesame sprinkled candy and Hue Thanh tra. Organizers are continuing to mobilize researchers, artisans and students in and out of the province to submit their designs to the contest.

Hue City’s Mayor (middle) and members of the jury are evaluating packaging designs at the 2018 contest

Mr. Tran Dinh Hoang, Director of Thien Huong sesame sprinkled candy Limited Company told that there were dozens of sesame sprinkled candy manufacturers in the city. However, they were always struggling and facing difficulties in product consumption due to a lack of appropriate and beautiful packaging.

Through a market research, in addition to product quality, packaging plays an important role in determining the survival of a business, increases product values as well as improves businesses’ competitiveness. Yet, Thien Huong company has not yet chosen a satisfactory packaging model in spite of having invested hundreds of million dong to hire packaging designers for a long time. Through this contest, the business looked forward to receiving many suitable and beautiful designs to meet its criteria for raising its brand and expanding its market.

According to the acting Director of Tourism Department Mr. Le Huu Minh, beautiful packaging would contribute to raising product values up to 4 or 5 times. This would create opportunities for Hue’s enterprises and manufacturers, including the sesame sprinkled candy,  to expand the market and aim to export their products. Therefore, the contest should be approachable to more participants and call more artisans, skilled craftsmen, and art students to create suitable and superior designs for Hue products.

Hue City Mayor, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh believes that the contests of designing Hue’s gift and souvenir products as well as packaging for local specialties are very important as Hue is a Festival City, a cultural and tourist city of the country. More and more tourists are coming to Hue. However, the city do not have appropriate gift products. Apart from the inside quality, product packaging is too poor and monotonous. Therefore, this year's competition have the purpose of creating two sophisticated and unique packaging designs for two typical specialties: the sesame sprinkled candy and Thanh tra; and at the same time, finding souvenir designs with appropriate models, materials and sizes with an inspiration from Hue’s logo.

Story and photos: Thanh Huong