Passionate about weaving

From the village craftsman

Coming to Don Dong hamlet, it was not difficult to find Mr. Ba Lun's family. In the gentle afternoon sunlight, we arrived at Mr. Ba Lun's house and suddenly heard a steady clanking sound coming from the porch. Mr. Ba Lun was busy preparing the rim of a newly woven basket that was still unfinished. His skinny hands, wrinkled skin due to age, and long scars on his fingertips were proof of his time devoted to his profession. Seeing a visitor, Mr. Ba Lun stopped working and invited him in with a gentle smile. In the rustic space, the story over a pot of country tea flowed along as he told it.

Mr. Ba Lun prepares to complete his woven product. Photo: THUY TIEN

Mr. Ba Lun began to tell about his youth, the time when he followed his father to learn the craft of weaving, from cutting bamboo strips until he could complete a basket or winnowing basket by himself. Mr. Ba Lun said: “No one remembers exactly when the weaving profession in Don Dong began, but we only know that this profession is closely related to farming, so it requires many tools for daily life and production. This profession is easy to learn, so since I was 10 years old, I already knew how to weave baskets and winnowing baskets, and then my love for weaving gradually grew over time.”

Weaving has been with Mr. Ba Lun for 60 years. Through many ups and downs, when people gradually preferred plastic and industrial products to replace handmade products and especially when raw materials became increasingly scarce. "There were times when I thought I had to give up the job, but then I missed my hands and the familiar clicking sound, so I sat down and continued weaving," Mr. Ba Lun confided.

To have quality products, Mr. Ba Lun always spends time choosing strong, smooth bamboo trees, then devotes his heart to polishing. “The raw materials are simple, the tools are just common tools such as splitting knives, bamboo sharpening knives, and chopping knives, but making the products is not simple at all. Bamboo is sawed into pieces according to the purpose of weaving, depending on the size and requirements of the customer. To have a beautiful product, the craftsman must be very skillful and meticulous in every step. The most difficult step is splitting, sharpening the rim, then rigging because if not done evenly, the product will be distorted and not beautiful. In particular, rigging is a step that requires a combination of both dexterity and strength; rigging to fit the rim, so few people can do it,” Mr. Ba Lun shared.

Become a "teacher" by accident

As an old farmer who has been attached to bamboo and woven items all his life, and has never taught a class, Mr. Ba Lun, an old craftsman, has now become an involuntary "teacher" of a vocational class opened by the locality. Normally, the image of a teacher is always associated with a white chalk and a blackboard, but for Mr. Ba Lun, the teaching equipment is only a few pieces of bamboo, a knife and a bundle of pre-sharpened bamboo strips. His students are of all ages, young people, middle-aged people and the elderly who want to learn a trade to improve their lives. He does not teach with lesson plans but teaches with his calloused hands and experience. For each weaving operation, each way of choosing bamboo and whittling bamboo strips, he carefully demonstrates and then slowly teaches. Called teacher, he smiles gently: "I only teach what I know, I am not a teacher."

Mr. Ba Lun not only teaches the craft but also the pride and love for the folk culture that is gradually fading away. Thanks to his classes, many people after studying have made their own handicrafts to sell everywhere. "Through the class, I learned the basic steps of knitting, gradually knitting and learning, gaining experience to create the best products. Thanks to this job, my family has extra income in their spare time, life is somewhat less difficult", said Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Oanh, resident of Vinh Thuan commune.

Although the weaving profession is no longer as prosperous as before, Mr. Ba Lun still keeps the profession as a part of the memory, a story of the old craft village. Every day, Mr. Ba Lun sits on the porch, next to a pile of bamboo strips, his calloused hands quickly weaving unique products to serve the market demand. Although he is over 70 years old, his eyes still shine with pride when passing on the profession to the younger generation and it will not be lost over time.

Narcissus

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nang-tinh-voi-nghe-dan-dat-a462756.html