Bamboo hat of Tay artisan

From the fence to the bamboo hat

In the heart of the city, Mr. Quan Van On's house has its own unique feature with a large yard covered with woven bamboo materials. The image of Mr. On sitting in front of his house every day diligently weaving hats has become familiar to the people here.

The bamboo hat was created by him and won second prize in the 2018 “Design of tourism souvenirs and creation of tourism logos and slogans” contest organized by the province. For many years, the work has been selected to be displayed and introduced at handicraft booths at home and abroad.

Mr. Quan Van On was born and raised in the countryside of Thuong Lam (Lam Binh). He said: “When I was a child, I loved weaving. Every time I saw my grandmothers and mothers weaving, my hands itched and I wanted to knit right away. But because I was still young, everyone was afraid that I would cut my hands, and my hands were not skillful enough to knit. However, one time I tried to imitate weaving a fence, and finished it to my mother’s surprise. Being praised and supported by my mother, I had more motivation to knit more household items. It is true that my passion makes me want to try knitting something else after finishing one thing…”.

Mr. Quan Van On teaches hat weaving to his granddaughters.

Since he started knitting, Mr. On has shown his difference with his quick learning ability. He only needs to see it once to know how to imitate the knitting exactly. Besides, he is also a craftsman with the ability to create many new knitting styles to create different products.

He said that many products are beautiful but not durable, and that is what worries him the most during his career. The traditional Tay hat made of leaves only lasts a short time before it is torn to pieces, so the idea of weaving hats from bamboo strips (a more durable material than leaves) was born.

The special thing about the woven hat is that he converted it from the way he weaves a fence. The fence has 4 corners, but he removed 3 corners, leaving 1 corner and then lengthening it to create a beautiful and durable hat. It sounds easy, but seeing Mr. On working diligently with calculations from the drawing axis, from each mold, you can see the ingenuity and creativity of this man.

The hat is light, beautiful and durable, and if worn regularly, it will not break after 4 to 5 years. “Good news travels fast”, Mr. On’s hat is sought after by many people. Over the years, he has also taken upon himself the responsibility of “teaching the profession” to the villagers.

God bless you

Many people know Mr. On as a weaving teacher. He can weave 52 products with household items from bamboo, rattan, and reed. He does not hide his craft, and wherever he is, he is always ready to enthusiastically teach those who are passionate about this traditional craft... For many years, he has been invited by localities in and outside the province to teach bamboo and rattan weaving training classes.
However, the special thing is that many people who come to his house to learn hat weaving are taught by him for free. He said that knitting this hat is not difficult, but it requires the learner to put all their heart and soul into learning. I don't know where to cheat or do it carelessly, but when it comes to knitting, you have to be really focused and patient, you can't be careless. If you cheat once or knit a wrong piece, it's considered a failure. That's how you train your craft and train yourself!

Mr. On is famous for being an honest and straightforward person. Many students came to him but neglected their studies, were scolded by him, and cried and went back to their hometowns, but after a few days they came back to knock on his door and asked to study again. There were quite a number of students in the province, many people who made conical hats in Hai Duong , Thanh Hoa, Hue... also came to learn a new profession from him.

Mr. On replaced the traditional Tay hat with a more durable bamboo material.

In the yard, bamboo strips are neatly arranged. He said: “We must cherish and care for each raw material and each strand. The more meticulous and detailed we are, the more successful we will be in weaving. The secret starts with choosing the type of bamboo and taboos such as not choosing bamboo with short tops, not cutting bamboo on rainy days... are all passed down by him, given away freely and generously to everyone.

He is also a person who is quite inquisitive in research in order to perfect the product. If in the past, he had to soak the bamboo in sulfur to whiten the bamboo and prevent termites, now he has found a simpler way, not dependent on chemicals. That is, after the raw material is pre-processed, immediately pour boiling water in the right proportion, at the right time, repeated many times to create durability and natural whiteness for the raw material.

Another interesting thing about this bamboo hat is that for more than 10 years, the price has remained unchanged, ranging from 100 to 200 thousand VND/hat. He can make 1 product every day, so many customers come, he can't weave it fast enough to sell. He remembers the first 5 hats shipped abroad were in 2013. The customer was the Deputy Director of the Voice of Vietnam Radio Station who contacted to buy them as gifts for his colleagues in Denmark. Next, a Russian couple traveling in Tuyen Quang saw the unique and eye-catching bamboo hat displayed at the Van Tue Hotel (Tuyen Quang City) and ordered 10 as gifts. After that, many times domestic traders came to order them to bring to Guangdong (China) to sell.

However, his greatest joy is that many of his students are successful in their profession. Every year, they return to visit their teacher. Ms. Ma Thi Lieu, from Na Khau village, Minh Quang commune (Lam Binh) also packed her bags and went to his house to learn the profession and then returned to teach it to the villagers. Ms. Lieu said that Mr. On trains his students a lot, and that once they learn, they must pay attention. She learned many weaving designs from him. Currently, she and many other women have established the Na Khau Bamboo and Rattan Weaving Cooperative. On average, each month, the members of the group produce more than 500 - 600 products.

Mr. On's face was happy and radiant as he talked about his many students and memories. Many people wondered why he did not receive any remuneration for teaching. He said that in weaving, one must be specific, calculating every detail, how to build the span of the bamboo, but in real life, one is generous and freely giving. Only then can the good and beauty of the profession be "spread", passed down from generation to generation. That is what an old artisan like him desires and wishes for the most.

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