Areguà

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Areguá is a crafts city located on the shores of Lake Ypacarai and 30 km from Asunción. Although principally renowned for producing pottery, the city also offers a great range of popular arts including music and dance. Home to over 450 pottery workshops, Areguá is regarded as one of the three key pottery cities of Paraguay. Due to its Urban Cultural Heritage, Areguá was recognised as a national Cultural Heritage site in 1997.

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Aswan

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2005

City presentation

Aswan, located along the Nile, has a rich history as a commercial center and cultural hub dating back to Ancient Egypt. Renowned for its crafts and folk arts, Aswan’s creative heritage includes beadwork, palm branch creations, clay products, and traditional needlework. Local folk traditions, especially in clothing, jewelry, and dance, play a significant role in the city’s cultural identity, with over 50 traditional dances still performed today by groups like the Aswan Folk Troupe.

Institutions such as the Aswan Museum and Nubia Museum focus on preserving the region’s folk arts, while events like the International Symposium of Sculpture celebrate its artistic legacy. As a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Aswan fosters sustainable development through culture by organizing events, supporting artisans with capacity-building programs, and engaging in international exchanges. These efforts promote creativity as a means of advancing social and economic development.

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Ayacucho

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Founded in 1539, Ayacucho is known as the “Capital City of Folk Art and Peruvian Craftsmanship.” This Andean city fosters cultural diversity and artistic creativity, developing 16 types of crafts, including retablo, tapestry, Huamanga stone carving, pottery, textiles, and embroidery.

Ayacucho’s local crafts and folk art are celebrated during festivals like Easter and Carnival, which blend music, cinema, theatre, and dance. Events such as the First Regional Meeting of Craftsmen in 2019 aim to promote growth by addressing issues in the industry.

The city also supports crafts through a symposium that led to the creation of a folk art museum, interpretation centers, and a dedicated budget. Ayacucho aims to improve the handicraft sector, promote crafts in local and international markets, teach folk art in schools, recover its cultural heritage, and provide youth internships in partnership with local universities.

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Ballarat

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

Ballarat, located on the Yarrowee River in Victoria, Australia, is a creative city with a rich history, from indigenous culture to the gold rush era. With a population of 107,000, its crafts and folk art sector is the fastest-growing, blending traditional indigenous techniques with modern innovations.

The city celebrates its crafts legacy through the Winter Festival, which connects traditional crafts with new technologies like augmented reality. Ballarat supports creative growth with initiatives like “Start-Up Ballarat,” mentoring entrepreneurs in the crafts field, and “Made of Ballarat,” which links local tourism with artisans.
Ballarat envisions becoming an iconic city by revitalizing rare and forgotten crafts, promoting indigenous skills, and fostering creative innovation, while building capacity for cultural programming and supporting First Nations people through UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape approach.

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Bamiyan

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2015

City presentation

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Bukhara

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2023

City presentation

Bukhara, renowned for its cultural and architectural heritage, has a long-standing tradition of craftsmanship that plays a crucial role in the city’s development. The craft industry supports economic growth, job creation, and increased tourism, while promoting social inclusion and preserving cultural heritage. Skilled artisans in Bukhara practice traditional techniques in golden embroidery, ceramics, jewellery, and woodwork, which are integral to the region’s history along the ancient Silk Road. These artisans also contribute to cultural preservation through workshops and training programs.
With growing global interest in Bukhara’s crafts, international recognition has opened new export opportunities, boosting the local economy and reinforcing the city’s cultural identity.

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Cairo

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, is the largest metropolitan area in the Middle East and has long been a major cultural hub. Known for its rich craftsmanship, the city’s historic center features neighborhoods named after various craft practices. The local creative economy heavily relies on the crafts and folk art sector, which represents 80% of its cultural activities.

Communities in the historic center support crafts by establishing guilds for pottery, glassblowing, coppersmithing, ceramics, and jewelry. Cairo organizes events like the Diarna Fair and the Heritage Forum to promote craft heritage and raise awareness of the creative sector. The International Festival of Drums and Traditional Arts showcases traditional folk art and music. To revive the inactive historic center, the Urban Regeneration Project identifies culture and creativity as key elements for restoration. Cairo aims to strengthen artisans’ skills, create a multipurpose urban square for craft exhibitions, repurpose public buildings as Community Craft Centres, and engage in partnerships for professional development within the cultural sector.

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Caldas da Rainha

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019

City presentation

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Chiang Mai

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Located in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai, the “Rose of the North,” was established in 1296 as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. The city’s craftspeople were essential in developing its reputation as a trade center, contributing to the crafts industry from nearby villages, with 159 established enterprises providing significant employment. Chiang Mai’s craft practices, including pottery, silverwork, wood carving, silk embroidery, and lacquerware, are passed down through programs in public schools, like the ‘Museum to School’ initiative, which raises awareness of local crafts and folk arts.

The Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation is committed to protecting this heritage by enhancing educational institutions and launching the ‘One Sub-District, One Product’ initiative to support local crafts in global markets, benefiting small-scale producers, including those from vulnerable communities, through capacity-building workshops.

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Chardeleg

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017

City presentation

Chordeleg, a small city in southern Ecuador, is renowned for its precious metal work, pottery, footwear manufacturing, and toquilla straw weaving. These four sectors employ 66% of the active population, with 58% being women artisans. Craft knowledge is traditionally passed down through families and communities via oral tradition, and the city supports sustainability by helping artisans establish cooperatives and facilitating knowledge transfer.

The annual Candonga Festival, initiated in 2011, promotes Chordeleg’s crafts and encourages collaboration among artisans. The city partners with the Inter-American Centre for Crafts and Popular Arts (CIDAP) to safeguard traditional craft methods and improve working conditions. Additionally, the Municipality is implementing a National Plan to protect traditional toquilla weaving, focusing on revitalizing the craft sector through promotion and communication, while a broader Development and Territorial Planning strategy has already led to the creation of 12 new businesses.

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Gimhae

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2021

City presentation

Gimhae, renowned for its Gaya pottery and Buncheong ware from the Joseon Dynasty, is modernizing its crafts sector into a thriving creative industry. Home to 240 craft companies, the city’s Workshop Village serves as a key creative hub for production, education, and trade. Gimhae’s ceramics industry is supported by institutions like the Clayarch Gimhae Museum, the world’s first architectural ceramics museum, and the Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Museum, dedicated to preserving and evolving Buncheong ware.

Gimhae aims to innovate its ceramics tradition, integrate citizen participation in its creative city development, and align with Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education, gender equality, and sustainable urban development.

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Hangzhou

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2012

City presentation

With a 5,000-year history, Hangzhou, one of China’s ancient capitals, has transformed by focusing on cultural and creative industries. Its rich history supports renowned crafts such as silk and tea production, as well as porcelain and bronze sculptures. As a historic center for Chinese silk, Hangzhou has preserved this craft heritage. Known as China’s “Tea Capital,” the city is famous for West Lake Longjing Green Tea. Additionally, the stone carvings by the Xiling Seal Engraver’s Society highlight Hangzhou’s enduring crafts tradition. Recognized as a “National Cultural and Creative Centre,” Hangzhou’s creative industries employ over 336,000 people and play a key role in the city’s economic and cultural development.

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Hoi An

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2023

City presentation

Hội An, located in Central Vietnam, is a beautiful city with an ancient town recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999; Chàm Islands – Hội An was recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2009; and the art of Bài Chòi in Central Vietnam, effectively practiced in Hội An, was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. In 2023, Hội An joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Crafts and Folk Art.

Hội An’s intrinsic strength is the resonance of work, creativity, indigenous cultural values and the absorption of the quintessence from countries that have come to trade over the long periods. From experts, artists, intellectuals to workers, farmers, etc.; from indigenous communities to individuals from other places; they have all brought together the essence of labor, innovation and the determination to create a source of creativity for this land.

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Icheon

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2010

City presentation

Since becoming a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art, Icheon has established itself as a leader in the Korean crafts industry, particularly in ceramics. With a tradition spanning over 1,000 years, Icheon is pivotal in both modern and traditional ceramics. The city boasts essential infrastructure, including industrial enterprises and educational institutions, making it the only crafts-specialized zone in Korea.

The ceramic belt around Icheon produces 55% of the nation’s ceramics, featuring 320 studios, making it the largest center for crafts in Korea. Events like the Icheon Ceramic Festival and the International Sculpture Symposium promote cultural exchange and creativity. Icheon is committed to preserving its cultural heritage while sharing its values with other cities globally.

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Isfahan

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2015

City presentation

Isfahan, Iran’s third largest city with 1.5 million inhabitants, is a hub for crafts and folk art, featuring 9,000 workshops across 167 disciplines, including carpet weaving, metalwork, and ceramics. The historic Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serves as the main venue for showcasing high-quality crafts. Events like the International Cultural Heritage Festival highlight local and international artistry, with a special focus on female artisans.

Isfahan’s Municipality actively promotes social cohesion and the preservation of traditional knowledge through training workshops and financial support, particularly via Handicrafts Cooperative Societies. As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, Isfahan aims to enhance the capacities of artists, promote gender equality, and foster international cooperation, ensuring the growth and visibility of its rich craft heritage.

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Jingdezhen

City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2014

City presentation

Jingdezhen, often referred to as the “Porcelain Capital,” boasts a legacy of porcelain production that dates back over 1,700 years, making it China’s foremost ceramic production center. Renowned for high-quality porcelain, the city has historically facilitated cultural and commercial exchanges along the Silk Road.

In recent years, Jingdezhen has leveraged its cultural assets to organize prominent events in ceramic arts, such as the World Summit of Mayors from Ceramic Cities and the Jingdezhen International Ceramic Fair, promoting cultural heritage and diversity. These initiatives emphasize capacity building and international collaboration, particularly with Africa and the Arab States, establishing Jingdezhen as a vibrant creative city. As a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts, Jingdezhen aims to foster exchanges among member cities, promote industrial cooperation, share creative processes, and host forums focused on the protection of intangible heritage and crafts.

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