According to the elders, the glassblowing craft in Xoi Tri village has a history of over 80 years. The founder of the craft was Mr. Pham Van Dao. During his years of working away from home, he had the opportunity to work for a Chinese man and learned the glassblowing technique. Upon returning to his hometown, he didn't keep the craft to himself but wholeheartedly taught it to the villagers. From a few initial glassblowing furnaces, the craft gradually took root and developed throughout the village. Those who knew the craft taught those who didn't, passing it down from father to son, making Xoi Tri a famous glassblowing village in the Northern Delta region.
Mr. Pham Van Linh (56 years old), grandson of Mr. Pham Van Dao, is one of the few people who still preserve almost completely the techniques and processes of making traditional glass products. Taking a few minutes to rest before melting a new batch of glass, Mr. Linh recalled: "My family has been involved in glassblowing for three generations. In my memory, the 1980s were the most prosperous period for the village, when there were about 40 households engaged in the craft. From early morning to late at night, the glass furnaces were always burning. People mainly produced bottles, jars, beer glasses, oil lamps, light bulbs, jugs, etc., according to customer orders. Thanks to this craft, many families were able to make a living, and their children received a good education."
Mr. Linh recounted that at the age of 13, he followed his father and grandfather to learn the first steps of the craft. Growing up amidst the bustling atmosphere of the craft village, witnessing adults diligently working by the furnace every day, glassblowing gradually became a part of his life. "Back then, the work was hard, but the income was stable. Once I became proficient, I became a master craftsman. And I've kept the craft until now," Mr. Linh shared.
However, that golden age now only remains in the memories of the craftsmen who are still dedicated to the trade. Due to changes in the market and consumer tastes, the Xoi Tri glassblowing village has gradually shrunk in scale. From a craft that provided a livelihood for the entire village, today only a mere three households remain steadfastly practicing the trade. Currently, the village's products are mainly beer glasses, produced to order for regular customers.
The development of modern glassmaking technology, along with the availability of inexpensive plastic products with diverse designs and large-scale production, has led to a shrinking market for glassware from Xoi Tri village. Not only is sales becoming increasingly difficult, but the glassblowing craft also requires workers to work in high-temperature environments, facing the heat from the kiln year-round. The arduous and strenuous work, coupled with less attractive income than before, has discouraged many young workers, causing the "flame" of the craft village to fade.
Mr. Pham Van Linh said: "The manual glassblowing process involves many steps. The technique isn't overly complicated, but it requires hard work, perseverance, and good health. This profession is even more arduous than blacksmithing; it's bearable in winter, but in summer , standing in the workshop is always stifling, 50-60°C. The unique aspect of the job is that once the furnace is lit and the glass is melted, it must be done continuously, often staying up all night until the batch is finished before resting. Not everyone can follow this profession. We are still trying to pass on the craft and train more apprentices so that there will be people to carry on the tradition in the future. It would be a great pity if this profession were to disappear one day."
To blow a complete glass cup, the kiln owners must first build the pot and the furnace. The material for building the pot is a rather special type of clay: a pliable white clay, which is ground into powder and mixed with heat-resistant gravel in a ratio of "two parts gravel to one part clay". After mixing thoroughly, the mixture is compacted to form the bottom and body of the pot. Each pot is over 1 meter high, with a diameter of about 80-90 cm and a bottom thickness of 10 cm. Once completed, the pot must be air-dried naturally for 20-30 days until it hardens before it can be used.
Building a furnace for melting glass also requires skillful techniques and the experience of the craftsman. The furnace is constructed with multiple layers of heat-resistant bricks to maintain a stable temperature throughout the glassmaking process. Only when the flame reaches the appropriate temperature are the first batches of glass introduced into the furnace.
Glassmakers use coal to melt the glass pieces after they have been crushed and cleaned of impurities. This process requires careful handling to avoid affecting the capacity of the furnace. Approximately 500 kg of glass are poured in at a time, melted in the furnace for 6-7 hours. Once the glass reaches the maximum temperature of about 1,800 degrees Celsius to completely liquefy, the workers' shift truly begins.
According to Mr. Linh, "To create satisfactory products, a skilled craftsman must know the 'perfect' temperature of the glass. Initially, when exposed to fire, the glass is blue; when heated to the right temperature, it turns white. At that point, by adjusting the steam just right, the glass will expand as desired."
Next, the craftsman uses a blowpipe to take a sufficient amount of glass and places it on a mold to blow and shape the cup. While the process seems gentle, this is actually the most skillful step. The craftsman must regulate their breathing evenly, coordinating it rhythmically with the rotation of the blowpipe and controlling the force of the blow so that the glass expands evenly, conforming closely to the mold, creating a product with a balanced shape, without distortion or cracks.
Each production line typically has seven people, including five glassblowers, one person to cut the rim of the glass, and one person in charge of the ash treatment to allow the product to cool slowly for about 12 hours, making the glass "more durable" and preventing cracking due to sudden temperature changes. Once the furnace is lit and the glass begins to melt, the entire line must work continuously and coordinate smoothly until the batch is finished. A satisfactory product must have a balanced, square shape, without bumps or dents, with few air bubbles, uniformly thick walls, and the correct mold dimensions, etc.
Mr. Tran Van Duyen, one of the three remaining glassblowing kiln owners in Xoi Tri village, shared: "Glassblowing is a profession that requires 'selling your health' to make a living. It's hard work, but the income isn't much, and it's difficult for future generations to preserve this craft." Currently, his family's workshop produces over 1,000 cups daily with two teams of workers working continuously in two shifts (5 hours/shift). Each cup sells for about 5,000 - 7,000 VND, and workers earn between 6,000 and 8,000 VND per month.
According to Mr. Duyen, the biggest challenge currently is competition from industrially produced and imported products. "They use machinery, resulting in high productivity, attractive designs, and lower costs, while we still use entirely handcrafted methods. Their glass is clearer, while we use recycled glass, so our products still have small air bubbles. But that's also a unique characteristic of Xoi Tri glass. Many customers still prefer cups with a few bubbles because it feels more natural and authentically handcrafted. Despite the difficulties, we remain proud and always strive to maintain quality to bring our products to market," Mr. Duyen said.
Despite constantly encouraging himself, Mr. Duyen couldn't help but worry that the younger generation in the village was no longer interested in glassblowing. The work was arduous, the working environment harsh, and the income wasn't much higher than other jobs, so fewer and fewer people chose to pursue it. Craftsmen like him, however, continued to work diligently, not only to make a living but also to preserve the traditional craft of their ancestors.
Mr. Duyen expressed: "We only hope for more support in terms of machinery so that the remaining three facilities can work less hard, increase productivity, and maintain production. Our greatest hope is that the younger generation will continue to inherit the craft and preserve the cultural heritage of the traditional village."
In the three remaining glassblowing workshops in Xoi Tri, almost all the workers are middle-aged men who are dedicated to the craft. Those who still practice the trade, like Mr. Linh and Mr. Duyen, express regret and worry that one day no one in their village will continue this glassblowing craft, and that the flame of the village's traditional craft will die out.
Growing up in Xoi Tri, fortunate to be born into a family with a tradition of glassblowing, the image of the blazing furnace, the glowing red blowpipes, and the first batches of glass has become a part of the memories of the craftsmen here. Perhaps Mr. Linh, Mr. Duyen, or any other craftsman always cherishes the belief that they must preserve the "spirit of glassmaking," preserve the craft because it is the blood, flesh, and sweat of their ancestors in Xoi Tri village.
The value of a traditional craft village lies not only in the products it creates, but also in the flame passed down from generation to generation. Now, what the craftsmen hope for most is to find young hands with enough passion for the craft to keep that flame burning brightly.
Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/do-lua-giu-nghe-thoi-thuy-tinh-lang-xoi-tri-260627114749710.html
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