Cubic stone crafting profession in Xuan Son

The cubic stone crafting profession in Xuan Son commune (Van Ninh district) has existed for a long time. The products are sold as soon as they are made, bringing a good income to the local people. To increase the value of the products, the local people and authorities hope that the Provincial People's Committee will soon recognize the craft village.

Bring in good income

Along the road from National Highway 1 to the center of Xuan Son commune, we came across hundreds of tents set up by people on both sides of the road. Inside those tents, we could hear the chiseling and chiseling of people working in the cubic stone crafting profession. Visiting the crafting tent of Mr. Vu Viet Anh (Xuan Trang village), we witnessed the skillful hands of the craftsmen. From a rough block of stone mined from the quarry, after only a few minutes of chiseling, Mr. Anh transformed it into square, sharp stones. Mr. Anh said: “I have been involved in the cubic stone crafting profession for 15 years. When I first started working, chiseling out a cubic stone was not simple because it was easy to break, deform and it was easy to hit my hand with a hammer. But with practice, I became familiar with the profession and became proficient. This job is easier than doing other jobs and brings a good income. Every day, I chisel about 100-150 stones, earning about 15-20 million VND/month”.

People of Xuan Son commune make cubic stone.

The tools of cubic stone craftsmen include hammers, chisels, drills and cutters. Every day, the craftsmen only carry their tools to the tent built with canvas and thatched roofs to chisel and carve stones; the raw materials are purchased from the quarry by contractors. Mr. Vo Huu Manh (Xuan Ninh village) said that in the past, chisels were mainly made of iron, so the process of chiseling and carving stones quickly became worn, distorted, damaged, and low productivity. Now, chisels are made of alloy, with the support of machines, so stone carving becomes easier, the products are more beautiful and the quantity has also increased significantly. Therefore, the products of the craft village are increasingly expanding their markets to provinces and cities, such as: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi , Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, etc. In particular, some businesses in Quy Nhon City (Binh Dinh province) also order cubic stone carving for export to Japan and Germany. Therefore, all products are sold as soon as they are made. Thanks to that, the income of the people working in the profession is stable and their lives are improved.

Hope to be recognized as a craft village

Xuan Son commune has many large and high-quality granite mines. Stone exploitation for local construction began in 1988, mainly by manual exploitation. Since 2000, a number of organizations, businesses and individuals licensed by the State to exploit and produce stone have invested in factories and modern machinery, contributing to job creation and income generation for people. Because cubic stone products are aesthetically pleasing and durable, the demand for use in construction and housing, paving yards, roads in tourist areas, cladding or building walls... is increasing. Thanks to that, many households participate in cubic stone processing. According to statistics, in the commune, there are 130 households with more than 600 workers working in cubic stone processing, bringing in an income of 8 to 30 million VND/person/month.

Mr. Le Xuan Bay - Vice Chairman of Xuan Son Commune People's Committee said that during the production process, households always ensure environmental protection regulations; most of the discarded products and solid waste generated during production activities are collected and used to sell to units and individuals for leveling, paving roads, and flooring. Households working in the craft all pay their budget revenues fully and promptly according to the policy of encouraging the development of craft villages; always actively participate in surveys and reports on the operation of production establishments and households when requested by state management agencies. At the same time, local authorities regularly propagate and mobilize people to develop craft villages in conjunction with building cooperative economic organizations in the village, building cultural villages, fulfilling obligations to the State; ensuring occupational safety and hygiene. However, because they have not been recognized as craft villages, most households have not focused on investing in modern machinery, have not approached and applied new technologies in production; The products are still being forced to lower prices by traders... Therefore, the people and the locality really hope that the Provincial People's Committee and relevant agencies will soon recognize the craft village. Only then will it create conditions for the craft village to develop, create a brand and connect to bring the products further.

According to the leader of the Economic Department of Van Ninh district, currently, the reserve of granite as raw material for making cubic stone in Xuan Son commune is very abundant. Meanwhile, the demand for finished cubic stone is increasing. Therefore, if the Provincial People's Committee recognizes the craft village, it will create conditions for people to increase the value and create their own brand for local products. Thereby, encouraging people to participate in establishing cooperatives or private enterprises to ensure a stable source of income, create a healthy competitive environment, and prevent traders from forcing down prices...

VAN GIANG

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