Preserve the traditional rush fibers of our homeland.

Born and raised in the Kim Bong sedge-growing and mat-weaving region (Hoi An ward), and witnessing the traditional craft of her hometown facing the risk of extinction, Ms. Pham Thi Cong (1989) decided to return to her hometown and embark on a journey to revive the mat-weaving craft, preserving the sedge fibers of her homeland.

Ms. Pham Thi Cong (far left) introduces tourists to the traditional mat weaving craft. Photo: LAM PHUONG

Ms. Cong doesn't know exactly when the traditional sedge mat weaving craft of her village originated, only that her grandmothers and mothers have been involved with the loom for generations. Ms. Cong's childhood was spent attending school in the mornings and helping her grandmothers and mothers split and dry sedge to weave mats in the afternoons.

After graduating from university and starting work, her deep longing for the mat weaving craft of her hometown compelled her to return. In 2019, Ms. Cong quit her job as a tour guide to return home and focus on developing her family's traditional craft. After a period of research and study, Ms. Cong boldly established the Kim Bong Sedge Handicraft Production Facility (abbreviated as Kiboco).

After its establishment, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, preventing the facility from welcoming tourists and bringing almost all operations to a standstill. During this difficult time, Ms. Cong realized that people were beginning to return to natural values, showing interest in traditional handicrafts and environmentally friendly products. It was then that she realized she was on the right track and remained steadfast in her choice.

In early 2022, after Covid-19 subsided, Ms. Cong reconnected with travel agencies and developed new tourism products to serve visitors. Thanks to the unique characteristics and attractive cultural values ​​of the traditional sedge mat weaving craft, Ms. Cong's establishment has increasingly attracted a large number of tourists.

With a focus on developing traditional craft villages in conjunction with sustainable tourism, Ms. Cong sought to diversify products made from sedge fibers to meet the needs of foreign tourists. From simply weaving traditional mats, Ms. Cong and other artisans have created many products from sedge fibers such as lanterns, tablecloths, handbags, hats, and floor mats.

With her creativity and skillful hands, Ms. Pham Thi Cong blends and creates a variety of colors for dyeing sedge. Photo: LAM PHUONG

In particular, with her creativity, aesthetic sense, and skillful hands, Ms. Cong has explored and researched color mixing. From the traditional mat weaving method which only had 5 colors: blue, red, purple, yellow, and white, Ms. Cong has blended and created a diverse color palette with about 20 colors, dyeing the sedge fibers in vibrant colors to suit customer tastes. To ensure the sustainable development of the craft village, Ms. Cong is self-sufficient in raw materials thanks to the vast sedge fields in the local area.

Currently, Kiboco's products not only serve the shopping needs of tourists visiting the craft village, but are also chosen by interior design companies to decorate projects; and are exported to many countries around the world such as the USA, the Netherlands, etc.

With the hope of developing the mat weaving craft and bringing sustainable value to the community, Ms. Cong plans to continue opening workshops on making handicrafts from sedge fibers in the future. In these workshops, visitors will not only learn about but also experience the traditional sedge mat weaving craft in depth. “Visitors can personally go through the stages of the process, creating products to take home. From there, they will have memories and deep impressions of the places they visited, fostering a greater love for traditional craft villages and becoming ambassadors to help spread the rustic beauty of Vietnamese countryside,” Ms. Cong shared.

Each month, Kiboco welcomes approximately 100 tourists, mainly from Europe; and sells around 100 different products.
In 2024, Kiboco's products were awarded the OCOP 3-star certification. For consecutive years, 2023, 2024, and 2025, they were recognized as typical rural industrial products at the provincial level.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/giu-lay-soi-coi-que-huong-3338781.html