Blacksmith village still "on fire" in hot weather

Tien Loc blacksmith village is still red hot under the blazing sun.

According to the elders, Tien Loc blacksmith village has a tradition of hundreds of years. In the beginning, the production of products such as knives, hoes, sickles, shovels, etc. was only to serve the daily life and agricultural needs of local people. Later, thanks to the skillfulness and creativity of the artisans, the products became known to many people, sought after and became commodities. Through many ups and downs, up to now, the whole Tien Loc commune has 5 enterprises and nearly 1,600 households engaged in blacksmithing, attracting about 6,000 workers.

Under the sweltering heat, workers in Tien Loc still diligently crawl into the “furnace”. Some stand at the furnace “steaming” the iron, some cut and saw, some swing hammers, some sharpen… Although the industrial fans spin rapidly, it seems that the strong wind does not lessen the stuffy air in the workshop, everyone is sweating profusely, their faces are red.

Clip Red Fire Blacksmith Village

Ms. Hoang Thi Ca, a resident of Tien Loc blacksmith village, said that blacksmithing is extremely hard work, requiring staying up late and waking up early, and consuming a lot of energy. Especially in the summer, this job is no different from “working hard for a living”, but because the love for the job has “soaked into the blood”, she still sticks with it. The villagers have a saying that is like a “mantra”: “Fire is money”. Every day, the lowest income for a worker is from 250,000 VND to 300,000 VND, while those with high skills who have to perform complicated and heavy steps have higher wages.

Nowadays, modern machines are gradually replacing handicrafts, so Tien Loc craft village is also facing many difficulties. Villagers are also being flexible to both adapt and preserve traditional crafts. While adults apply their experience and ingenuity to make durable, beautiful, and delicately designed products, the younger generation finds ways to promote their products via the Internet, especially social networks. Thanks to that, the village's products have reached many customers across the country and are exported to several countries such as Laos, Cambodia, etc.

Mr. Pham Van Tien, Director of Tan Loc Tai Company, shared that nowadays, many modern items, especially household appliances, are gradually replacing products of the craft village, and young people are also gradually moving away from the traditional profession of their ancestors. However, in Tien Loc craft village, there are still many young people like him who are determined to stick with the profession, applying scientific and technological advances and online sales space to maintain and promote the value of the traditional profession.