Traditional craft villages are bustling during the Tet holiday season.

The atmosphere in the craft villages specializing in feather dusters, cutting boards, and mats in Lap Vo and Lai Vung communes (Dong Thap province) is bustling with activity as they prepare to serve the Tet market. In recent years, despite facing numerous difficulties, the craft villages in the province have strived to innovate and improve product quality.

THE BUSTLING INDUSTRY OF MAKING CHICKEN FEATHER BROOMS

For over 40 years, the feather duster making village (Lap Vo commune) has been producing brooms year-round, but the busiest months are the last of the year. Each person has a different task, from bending and sawing bamboo to wrapping the string and finishing the product.

Bending bamboo to make feather dusters.

After finishing a phone call with a customer, Mr. Nguyen Van Loi, residing in Binh An hamlet, Lap Vo commune, said that the chicken feather broom makers are in their peak season, so production has increased 3-4 times compared to normal days. Chicken feather brooms come in many varieties, such as those made from horse feathers, tail feathers, and upper feathers...

Mr. Loi shared: "Previously, I sourced raw materials from localities within the province, but now the raw materials are scarce, so I have to import them from Ca Mau province."

At this time, workers are working diligently to meet the demand for the Tet holiday market. My workshop produces about 10,000 products each month, providing employment for 10 local workers.

Mat weaving using machines in Lai Vung commune.

Every year, I sell a lot of goods at the end of the year. Last Tet (Lunar New Year), I sold over 50,000 feather dusters of all kinds.”

Mr. Ho Trung Dung, a local resident who makes feather dusters from bent bamboo, said: “Because I have to take care of my family, I can't go far to work. Thanks to the broom-making trade in my area, I can earn an income while also taking care of household chores. Thanks to my years of experience and quick hands, my income is about 200,000 - 300,000 VND per day.”

VILLAGES MAKING CUTTING BOARDS AND MATS ARE "RACING" TO MEET THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

These days, Dinh Yen mat-making village (Lai Vung commune) is bustling with activity as it prepares for the Tet (Lunar New Year) mat weaving season. The sounds from the wooden looms and mat-weaving machines create a lively atmosphere.

Currently, residents of Dinh An hamlet, Lap Vo commune, are focusing on producing feather dusters to supply the Tet (Lunar New Year) market.

Each person takes on a specific task, such as dyeing the reeds, drying the reeds, arranging the reeds, weaving, etc. Ms. Nguyen Kim Van, residing in Lai Vung commune, shared: "My family has been in the mat-making profession for over 30 years."

The Tet (Lunar New Year) production season begins in October of the lunar calendar. During peak season, my family stays up late dyeing and weaving mats to ensure timely delivery to traders.

"The price of mats this year remains stable compared to the same period in previous years. In recent years, thanks to investment in machinery, production has become faster and more consistent."

According to Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc, a resident of Lai Vung commune, with a weaving machine, each worker can weave 8 mats per day, earning a profit of 200,000 - 300,000 VND per day.

As a result, the household economy has improved significantly compared to the previous traditional hand-weaving methods. The mats produced by the craft village are popular in the Mekong Delta region, the Southeast region, and even in neighboring Cambodia.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Viet, residing in Lai Vung commune, produces wooden cutting boards to serve the market for the 2026 Lunar New Year.

Along National Highway 54 in Lai Vung commune, the traditional cutting board making village is also rushing to produce for year-end orders.

Ms. Le Thi Khen, a member of the Dinh An Wooden Cutting Board Production Cooperative in Lai Vung commune, said: "In recent years, the market has shown more interest in natural wood cutting board products."

This year, the production of cutting boards for Tet (Lunar New Year) is busier than usual, with orders increasing by 1.5 times. Each Tet season, my family supplies the market with around 500-700 wooden cutting boards of various types.”

People in Lai Vung commune are preparing materials to produce mats for the Lunar New Year.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Viet, also residing in Lai Vung commune and producing wooden cutting boards for the Tet market, said: "To complete a cutting board product, the maker must go through stages such as sawing wood, turning wood, shaping, and sun-drying..."

These steps take two days to complete 100 wooden cutting boards. Wooden cutting boards are available in many types, such as small, medium, and large sizes, including meat cutting boards… Prices range from 10,000 to 45,000 VND per product, depending on size.”

According to local craftspeople, the market for wooden cutting boards for this year's Lunar New Year has been bustling since early on, but thanks to securing raw materials from the beginning of the year, the price of wooden cutting boards remains stable.

Besides traditional wooden cutting boards, recently, to utilize leftover wood, people have been creating additional products such as phone stands and chairs to improve their income.

NAM PHONG

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/lang-nghe-truyen-thong-nhon-nhip-vao-vu-tet-a235300.html