Preserving the intangible cultural heritage of Kim Son sedge craft with its unique beauty

The profession of growing and processing sedge has been associated with the people of Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province for hundreds of years. Through many ups and downs, the profession is still maintained and increasingly developed.

Not only creating jobs and income for local people, the sedge craft here has also become a unique cultural beauty, always maintained and developed by many generations.

The essence of ancient crafts

Kim Son land was formed from the reclamation of a beach full of reeds and mangroves around 1829. This is also an open land, with an annual sedimentation rate of 80-100m towards the sea.

Therefore, Kim Son is associated with the history of conquest of alluvial land and building dikes to reclaim the sea. Nature has endowed this land with many species of trees such as mangroves, sedges, of which sedges bring many unique products from the skillful hands of the people here.

Through the ups and downs of history, Kim Son sedge mat craft village has increasingly demonstrated its position and has existed and developed to this day. Sedge making in Kim Son is not only a manual job but also a passionate creative process. Sedge handicraft products in Kim Son are made from natural materials that are environmentally friendly, durable, diverse in design and color, and cheap.

From the small, silky sedge fibers, craftsmen constantly learn, improve techniques, and introduce new designs to meet the ever-increasing demands of the market.

From traditional products such as mats, Kim Son people have developed many more diverse, useful products, rich in designs and types such as: carpets, baskets, trays, hats, handbags, interior decorations, household items... bringing a modern breath and the unique characteristics of Kim Son countryside into natural materials.

With creativity and skillful hands, many products of the craft village have met the increasing demands of the market. People have a stable source of income, so they are more attached to the profession.

Ms. Ngo Thi Phuong, Quang Thien commune, Kim Son district said that to have a sedge handicraft product that meets export standards, Kim Son's sedge growing and production techniques are also quite special. It is an elaborate, meticulous and precise process right from the planting, harvesting to the final stage of weaving and completing the product.

Because it is made from natural materials, environmentally friendly, durable, diverse in design and color, it is favored by domestic and foreign customers.

Kim Son sedge craft village is not only an economic destination for trading and shopping, but also an attractive cultural destination, where the precious traditional values of Ninh Binh are preserved.

Ms. Tran Thuy Nhi, Deputy Director of Vina Handicrafts Limited Liability Company, Kim Son District, said that in recent times, the business community and local people have continuously researched and improved designs to suit customer tastes while still maintaining traditional characteristics; at the same time, focusing on improving product quality.

In the trend of integration, many traditional craft villages are gradually fading away, even disappearing due to lack of competitiveness, Kim Son sedge craft is still preserved, promoting the value of traditional craft villages.

Reaching the world

In Ninh Binh province, there are 37 sedge craft villages, mainly concentrated in Kim Son district. In Kim Son district alone, there are 25 traditional handicraft villages specializing in producing sedge and duckweed for export, with more than 5,000 enterprises and individual households participating in planting, processing and producing sedge-related products, supplying the domestic market and exporting to many countries and territories such as Japan, China, France, Germany, Korea, etc.

According to statistics, Kim Son district’s annual revenue from sedge processing reaches over VND200 billion. The export value of sedge handicrafts in the first quarter of this year in Kim Son reached nearly VND80 billion, up 20% over the same period last year. The profession has created jobs and increased income for nearly 30,000 local workers.

In 2024, Kim Son sedge craft was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, not only bringing pride to the craft community, adding motivation to preserve and promote the values of local cultural heritage, but also contributing to strongly affirming the position and brand of the locality and enhancing the reputation and competitiveness of products in the market.

In recent times, in order to preserve and promote the traditional values of craft villages, local authorities and enterprises and production facilities have continuously researched and improved product designs; regularly paid attention to training and improving the skills of workers to create quality products. Many enterprises and production facilities also focus on applying scientific and technological advances to increase productivity and quality, creating diverse and abundant products.

In addition, cooperatives and local organizations also actively carry out practical activities to support people in finding consumption markets and promoting products.

Mr. Pham Van Sang, Head of the Culture Department of Kim Son district, said that the sedge craft in Kim Son is not only a traditional craft but also an intangible cultural heritage that needs to be respected and preserved for future generations. Developing the traditional craft from sedge has contributed to improving the appearance and life of Kim Son people.

The recognition of Kim Son sedge craft as a national intangible cultural heritage is an important milestone in identifying and restoring the traditional cultural values of the locality, contributing to enhancing the prestige and competitiveness of the product in the domestic and international markets; thereby, promoting the local socio-economic development.

Currently, Kim Son district is focusing on developing craft village tourism to exploit and maximize economic efficiency, create jobs, and increase people's income; especially promoting, preserving, conserving, and promoting the values of traditional sedge craft in modern life.

With love for the profession, constant creativity and awareness of preserving cultural identity, Kim Son people are still making efforts every day to preserve and promote the heritage value of Kim Son sedge making craft./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/giu-gin-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-nghe-coi-kim-son-voi-nhung-net-dep-doc-dao-post1041145.vnp