Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, the familiar sounds of bamboo comb making still echo in every small house in Vac village (Thai Hoc commune, Binh Giang district, former Hai Duong province, now Duong An commune, Hai Phong city), reminding us of a traditional craft that once made this land famous.
A glorious era for the comb-making craft.
Following the tranquil village path to Vạc, we listened to the familiar sounds of bamboo splitting, grinding machines, and lively conversations among the artisans. There, the family of 56-year-old Nhữ Thị Út continues their daily work of making combs, a craft they've been practicing for over 40 years. Her calloused hands nimbly split bamboo, trimmed edges, and assembled combs—all reflecting the skill and patience of those who preserve the craft.
“In the old days, our village had a whole market dedicated solely to selling combs, called the Comb Market. The market was held on the 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th days of the lunar month, and it was very lively. People brought dried bamboo, soaked bamboo, and lacquer from the forest, others brought combs to sell, and traders from all over flocked to collect goods. The market only sold combs and materials for making combs; there were no other goods. That market is gone now, only the sound of combs being tapped still echoes,” Mrs. Ut recounted.
To create a complete bamboo comb, the craftsman must go through many steps: splitting the bamboo strips, trimming the edges, shaping the frame, joining the strips, assembling, sanding, and removing the husks… Only one step can be done each day, and it takes many days to complete a finished product. Ms. Ut said: “When I was little, I only helped with the comb-joining step to assist the adults. Doing the other steps was too easy to cut my hands. Now I make more than 1,000 combs a month, selling them wholesale for 6,000 dong each.” She said that not many people still practice this craft. Young people have all gone to work in factories, leaving only middle-aged and elderly people to keep the trade going.
According to historical records, Dr. Nhữ Đình Hiền (1659 - 1716), from Vạc village, passed the Hương Cống examination at the age of 17 and the Tiến Sĩ examination at the age of 22 before becoming an official. During his diplomatic mission to China (1697 - 1700), he learned the craft of making bamboo combs and brought it back to teach the villagers. Since then, comb making has become a source of pride for the people of Vạc village.
The Nhữ Đình ancestral temple, dedicated to the founder of the craft, was recognized as a national historical monument in 1993. In 2009, Vạc village was recognized by the People's Committee of Hai Duong province as a traditional bamboo comb-making village.
The craft of making combs involves up to 36 steps, from preparing the bamboo strips to the finished product. Nowadays, thanks to machinery, the process has been streamlined, but the inherent craftsmanship is still preserved.
Ms. Ut recounted, "Making combs used to be very hard work. Now, machines help to ease the burden somewhat, but in the past, everything was done by hand." According to her, villagers started using machinery about 20 years ago. However, meticulous steps such as weaving the combs and applying paint still have to be done manually to ensure accuracy.
Preserving traditional crafts, safeguarding the memories of our homeland.
Mr. Nhu Dinh Phu, Party Secretary and Head of Vac village, said: “Previously, there were about 800 households making combs in the village, but now there are only over 250 left. Of those, about 165 households use machinery, while the rest operate on a small scale. Many young people have left the craft to work in factories.”
Currently, those engaged in this trade are mostly middle-aged people, farmers who take advantage of their free time during the agricultural off-season. Income is not high, averaging only about 3.5 - 4.5 million VND per household per month, depending on the type of comb. Beautiful combs cost 40,000 VND, average ones 20,000 - 25,000 VND, and cheap ones 10,000 VND. The combs are sold in markets in Northern Vietnam, mainly Dong Xuan Market (Hanoi).
During its heyday, from 1975 to 1990, the entire village produced up to 9 million combs annually, with nearly 30 major traders specializing in this product. At that time, thanks to the comb-making trade, every household had enough to eat, and many families even built houses and bought motorbikes.
Bamboo combs from Vạc village once traveled throughout Vietnam, from the South to the North, and even to Cambodia. However, with economic development, plastic and horn combs were introduced, and shampoo became popular, leading to a sharp decline in demand for lice combs, and the traditional craft gradually faded away.
Now, walking along the village road of Vạc, one only occasionally sees smoke from cooking fires and hears the sound of combs being struck in a few old houses. The villagers muse, "In the old days, every house made combs. Nowadays, hardly anyone with lice still uses bamboo combs."
However, amidst the changes, the craft has not died out. People like Mrs. Ut quietly preserve the craft with their love for the traditions of their homeland. "As long as there are people doing it, the craft will remain," Mrs. Ut said.
In 2024, bamboo combs from Vac village were recognized as a 3-star OCOP product. Although the scale of production is no longer what it used to be, for the people here, it is a source of pride.
The rhythmic "clacking" sound from diligent hands still echoes daily in Vac village, a testament to the villagers' love of labor and their desire to preserve their traditions.
PHUONG LINHSource: https://baohaiphong.vn/giu-gin-luoc-tre-lang-vac-526502.html
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