Love of knitting from childhood
For many generations, the Pa Ko people have been accustomed to using bamboo, rattan, and rattan to weave household items, such as: A dien (rice tray), a choi (basket), a du (small basket tucked in the back), uk Khau (sticky rice container)... Since childhood, Mr. Con Thuy grew up with these familiar items. The peaceful childhood memories of his parents letting him sit in an a choi basket on the field or the cozy atmosphere around the a dien rice tray have instilled in him a love for the craft. With the desire to make his own items, at the age of 7-8, Con Thuy sat next to his parents learning how to split, whittle bamboo, rattan, and practice weaving the simplest items. By the age of 10-12, he was able to weave many household items quite skillfully.
 |
| Knitting is the daily joy of artisan Con Thuy - Photo: KS |
When he was old enough to get married, have children and grandchildren, although he was busy with farming, Mr. Thuy still continuously researched and practiced his ethnic weaving techniques. Thanks to that, his skills were increasingly promoted. “To make durable and beautiful items, first of all, we have to go into the forest to choose materials, the bamboo and rattan must be at the right “old” stage, the tubes must be straight and firm. Usually, after weaving, we put the product on the kitchen rack. Over time, the kitchen smoke will help the bamboo have a shiny, beautiful color and be more durable,” Con Thuy shared the secret.
In the past, when his eyes were still sharp and his health was still strong, on average, each product, with large and difficult ones, Con Thuy wove from 3-7 days, and simple ones only 1-2 days. Now that he is old and weak, he still maintains the weaving profession but it takes more time to create a product. Therefore, he brought bamboo to plant near his house for easy exploitation. Rattan is increasingly scarce, so he switched to weaving with plastic rope. This job also helps him earn more income, although not much. On average, each product costs from 150-300 thousand VND, each month he makes about 7-10 products, earning more than 1.5 million VND. His products are mainly sold to people in the commune and those who love traditional utensils.
"Reviving" traditional crafts
Because he is very passionate about his profession, Mr. Con Thuy cannot hide his worries when he sees that the traditional weaving profession is in danger of disappearing. According to him, nowadays, with the strong cultural exchange between regions, the demand for traditional bamboo, rattan and rattan items is decreasing, instead there are industrial products with diverse, eye-catching designs and cheaper prices. The output of weaving products is unstable, raw materials are scarce. Weaving artisans are getting older, the younger generation is not very interested in this profession... "I will overcome all difficulties to maintain the weaving profession until my last breath, in order to preserve the culture of the nation for future generations. With my experience and love for the profession, I am willing to teach weaving to those who love it," Con Thuy determined.
 |
| Lia commune leaders visited and encouraged Con Thuy weaving artisans - Photo: KS |
The love of weaving was passed down to his children by Con Thuy in his own way. His daughter, Ho Thi Tham, although not as good at weaving as her father, still wants to contribute to promoting the products and culture of her people more widely. “Currently, I really want to introduce the cultural characteristics of my people, including my father's weaving products. Due to difficult economic conditions and lack of technology proficiency, I hope to be supported in training online sales skills to support my father and the villagers in finding outlets for traditional products,” said Ms. Tham.
Nowadays, people who still preserve traditional crafts like Con Thuy in the ethnic minority areas of southern Quang Tri are very rare. He is a shining example, like a "flame" shining day and night in the Truong Son range, motivating the community to join hands to preserve the unique cultural values of the nation.
In order to preserve the unique culture of the Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups, the Lia commune government has regularly promoted propaganda, mobilized and encouraged people, especially artisans and young people, to actively maintain, pass on and learn traditional crafts. Thanks to that, many pioneers have emerged in preserving ethnic culture, of which Con Thuy is one of the typical examples, contributing to the "revival" of the weaving craft in the locality. Vice Chairman of the Lia Commune People's Committee Ho Van Hanh said: "The commune hopes that all levels, sectors, programs and projects will have policies to encourage dedicated artisans who have contributed to preserving and teaching traditional crafts; connecting and introducing products, helping people earn more income and contributing to attracting tourists to visit and experience the typical products of local ethnic minorities".
Ko Kan Suong
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202509/nguoi-giu-lua-nghe-truyen-thong-7895240/
Comment (0)