Keep the forging fire burning brightly...

Early in the morning, the sun rose high, casting golden rays across the villages. The nature of the Tra Nam highlands appeared truly peaceful and tranquil. Following the sounds of hammers and anvils, we arrived at the house of Mr. Ho Van Duong in Tac Vin residential area (village 1), Tra Nam commune, Nam Tra My district ( Quang Nam ). A beautiful scene of labor unfolded: young Ho Gia Huy was turning a blowtorch, sparks flying from the glowing red iron bars, while Mr. Ho Van Duong hammered away, the two working in perfect harmony, their clothes drenched in sweat. Mr. Thong sat beside a stack of papers and books, his eyes squinting, his fingertips tracing the neatly printed lines of text. He even had a pencil tucked neatly behind his ear, so that if he came across any interesting passages or necessary information, he could immediately reach for it, mark it, and easily find it when needed: “Books, newspapers, official documents, and papers, if you take the time to open and read them, are like a smart teacher. They contain all the policies and regulations. If you understand and know, then people will listen to you; even a rooster needs to learn to crow,” Mr. Thong shared. On the morning of March 19th, in Quang Ninh, President Luong Cuong, Head of the Politburo's Inspection Team 1907, chaired a meeting to approve the draft report of the Politburo and Secretariat's Inspection Team for 2025 to the Standing Committee of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee. Early in the morning, the sun rose high, casting golden light across the villages. The nature of the Tra Nam highlands appeared truly peaceful and tranquil. Following the sounds of hammers and anvils, we arrived at the house of Mr. Ho Van Duong, who lives in Tac Vin residential area (village 1), Tra Nam commune, Nam Tra My district (Quang Nam province). The scene depicts a beautiful display of labor: young Ho Gia Huy turning a blowtorch, sparks flying from the glowing red iron bars, while Mr. Ho Van Duong hammers, the two working together harmoniously and diligently despite their sweat-drenched shirts. Dak Nong is one of the localities with large areas of key crops such as coffee, pepper, and durian… however, drought remains a constant worry, causing anxiety among farmers. According to Agoda, Phong Nha – a destination located in Quang Binh province, Vietnam – tops the list of the most economical destinations in the region, ideal for spring travel in 2025. The People's Committee of Quang Ngai province has just issued a document requesting heads of departments, agencies, and units under the People's Committee of the province and the Chairmen of the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities to implement tasks related to forestry in 2025. The "Da Nang in My Eyes" creative art space will take place over 5 days to bring people... And tourists experience Da Nang city in a completely new way. A summary of news from the Ethnic and Development Newspaper. The morning news bulletin on March 19th includes the following noteworthy information: Tam Dinh Rice Flower Festival; Thien Mu Pagoda - "The first ancient temple" of the former imperial capital; and a person deeply attached to Cao Lan culture. Along with other current news from ethnic minority and mountainous regions: On the occasion of Vietnam Social Work Day (March 25), Central Committee member and Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan sent a congratulatory letter to officials, civil servants, employees, and collaborators of social work nationwide, extending her warmest greetings and best wishes. The Department of Science and Technology of Quang Nam province has just issued a plan to organize an exhibition showcasing achievements in the fields of science and technology, innovation, information technology, and postal and telecommunications services. The Government Office has just issued Notice No. 126/TB-VPCP dated March 19, 2025, summarizing the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son at the meeting to review and adjust the National Power Development Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. From March 26 to 27, the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province, in coordination with the National Startup Association, will hold an event. (VINEN) organized the 6th National Creative Startup Forum - Binh Dinh 2025. The People's Committee of Phu Yen province recently issued a document directing provincial departments, agencies, and organizations; and the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities to implement the new rural development program in 2025 in the province.

Every day, Mr. Duong's forge is still ablaze with fire, providing a place for young people to learn the trade.

Taking a break to offer his guest a cup of tea, Mr. Duong lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and then recounted his story: The blacksmithing craft of the Xơ Đăng people has existed for quite a long time, and it has been a part of his life since he was 15 years old. Back then, he followed his father into the forest to gather firewood for charcoal production. Now over 60, he can't even remember how many knives, machetes, axes, lances, hoes, pruning tools, etc., he has forged to provide people with tools for farming, logging, hunting, gathering firewood, and picking bamboo shoots…

The traditional blacksmithing craft of the Xơ Đăng people is mainly practiced during periods of agricultural inactivity or at the beginning of the year to prepare for the new farming season and the clearing of land for rice cultivation. Previously, the products made were only for exchanging food and providing villagers with tools for farming and for use in the forest.

In recent years, the blacksmithing trade has declined. Demand from the local people has decreased, and blacksmiths can only produce on a limited scale. But the fire of blacksmithing continues to burn in his heart, becoming the driving force and motivation for him to persevere in preserving the traditional blacksmithing craft of the Xơ Đăng people.

The Xơ Đăng people's settlements are surrounded by natural iron ore deposits on the hills. These ores have a very high iron content and are usually in the form of lumps and sand. Although still quite manual, Mr. Hồ Văn Dương's forge has now been fundamentally improved, combining with other iron and steel materials to create a simple but practical hand-cranked furnace.

Mr. Duong said that the blacksmithing techniques of the Xo Dang people were not systematically documented; they were only passed down from generation to generation. To create a satisfactory product for daily life and production, he had to find good quality iron and steel, and even the selection of charcoal and the setting up of the furnace required advanced techniques.

The Xơ Đăng people possess a secret method for producing high-quality iron ingots for making tools.

To smelt iron ore, the Xơ Đăng people must go into the forest to find a tree called loăng rlinh to make charcoal. Only charcoal from this tree can provide the necessary heat for the forge furnace to melt the natural iron ore. Careful calculation is required each time they begin forging a product; they must blow the fire to ensure the iron is red-hot and at the right temperature. Each hammer blow is delivered with a heavy strike followed by a light one to ensure precision. The Xơ Đăng people possess a secret method for creating high-quality iron bars that are strong, durable, and resistant to chipping or breaking during use.

Once they have obtained the desired iron bars, traditionally, the Xơ Đăng blacksmiths no longer use charcoal but only other types of wood to achieve lower temperatures. To produce finished products from raw iron and steel bars, the blacksmith must go through many stages, requiring a great deal of effort.

After being hammered smooth with a sledgehammer, the iron and steel are heated in a furnace until they glow red. This stage requires experienced blacksmiths who can tell if the heating process is complete by observing the red glow of the iron and steel in the flame. Next, they repeatedly hammer and shape the iron and steel, then manually grind each detail until the finished product is ready.

According to Mr. Ho Van Duong, in the most important stages, the process of crafting "my water," the Xo Dang people often use turtle shells to make glue, meaning they pass the product through the fire one last time and then dip it into the glue. After dipping, the craftsman takes it for a final polishing to complete the product.

The age of the water in my tool affects its sharpness. The water in my tool determines its durability. Prices vary depending on the product and tool; for example, machetes and sickles cost 250,000-300,000 VND, axes and spearheads cost 400,000-450,000 VND, hoes and pruning tools cost 150,000-170,000 VND, and bamboo carving knives cost 140,000 VND, etc.

From ancient times to the present day, the Xơ Ðăng people have preserved rituals associated with blacksmithing. According to their beliefs, before the blacksmithing season, the Xơ Ðăng people usually hold a ceremony to worship Giàng (the supreme deity) right at the forge. The ceremony typically includes a chicken, a jar of wine, and is performed by the village's chief blacksmith. They apply wine and chicken blood to the anvil, whetstone, and hammer, and pray to Giàng, hoping that the blacksmiths will produce many batches of iron, forging many sharp knives and durable hoes.

While learning the blacksmithing trade, Hồ Văn Lượng (30 years old), a young man from the same village, sat attentively watching each step of the tempering, hammering, and grinding process. He said: "This blacksmithing craft is gradually fading away and is in danger of disappearing, because the young Xơ Đăng people in the area today are not very interested in it. However, I believe that with my own efforts and the encouragement of Uncle Hồ Văn Dương, one day the younger generation will rekindle their passion and rekindle the blazing forges."

Mr. Doan Ngoc Hoai, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra Nam commune, said: "From the past to the present, the Xo Dang people have always valued the traditional blacksmithing craft. No matter how much modern life changes, the 'roots' of the traditional crafts of the Xo Dang people in general, including the blacksmithing craft of Mr. Ho Van Duong's family, are always preserved and developed."

Relevant agencies and local authorities are also striving to find ways to revive the traditional blacksmithing craft of the Xơ Đăng people, contributing to increased labor productivity, meeting production needs in the process of building new rural areas, and helping to preserve the cultural identity of the Xơ Đăng people in this region.

The Xơ Đăng people of Măng Rương village join hands to repair their traditional communal house.

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/giu-lua-ren-do-mai-1742287143305.htm