At midnight, anxiously waiting for the time to buy a mat at the "ghost market" of Dong Thap

Recreating "ghost market" to develop tourism

According to the investigation of Giao thong Newspaper reporters, in the past, the mat weaving village in Dong Thap had a "Dinh Yen ghost market". That was about 30 years ago, the craft village was flourishing, mats were always a necessary item for every family.

The special thing about this market is that it doesn't have a fixed meeting time, but it usually ranges from 11pm the night before to 4am the next morning.

Dinh Yen communal house (National historical and cultural relic), where trading and buying activities take place under the flickering light of oil lamps.

The courtyard of Dinh Yen communal house (a national historical and cultural relic) is where trading and buying activities take place under the flickering light of oil lamps.

Buyers sit in one place, while sellers carry mats and walk around selling to buyers, creating a unique traditional cultural feature of the locality.

As time passed, along with the development of the economy and convenient transportation system, "Dinh Yen ghost market" almost fell into oblivion.

Dong Thap recreates "Dinh Yen ghost market" to develop tourism associated with maintaining local identity.

However, in early September, Dong Thap province made efforts to restore and recreate the "Dinh Yen ghost market" with the excitement of the villagers.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van (62 years old, living in An Khuong hamlet, Dinh Yen commune, Lap Vo district, Dong Thap) said: "My family has been weaving and selling mats for four generations. Thanks to this profession, my siblings, children and grandchildren have a stable income. The ghost market being recreated helps me remember my childhood memories, remembering the time when my grandparents and parents were attached to the mat making profession."

"The reenactment of the "Dinh Yen ghost market" aims to promote the cultural image and people of Dong Thap to domestic and foreign tourists.

After this organization, the locality will learn from experience, develop plans and connect with travel companies to bring visitors to visit," informed Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhanh, Chairwoman of Lap Vo District People's Committee (Dong Thap).

30 years ago, when conditions were still difficult, people in Dinh Yen mat village bought and sold mats under the flickering light of oil lamps in the middle of the night. The name "ghost market" also began to form from that time.

As a native of Lap Vo, present at the reenactment of the "Dinh Yen ghost market", Mr. Pham Thien Nghia, Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, could not hide his emotions and shared: "Dinh Yen mat weaving has supported many generations of families.

With the capital accumulated from selling mats, many children from this land have become educated and successful, returning to contribute to their homeland.

The re-enactment of the "Dinh Yen ghost market" this time not only elevates the century-old mat weaving village but also contributes to promoting the image of the Land of Pink Lotus".

Bustling 100 year old craft village

The traditional mat weaving village of Dinh Yen in Lap Vo district (Dong Thap) was formed and developed over the past 100 years and was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2013.

The elders recounted that in the past, Dinh Yen consisted of two communes, Dinh Yen and Dinh An, today. The favorable terrain lies along the Hau River with many sandbanks and alluvial flats suitable for the growth of sedge, the main raw material used to weave mats.

The process of dyeing sedge to make colorful mats to meet customer needs.

Mat weaving in Dinh Yen is increasingly developing, but local materials are not enough, so we have to buy more split and dried sedge from other localities, mainly from Vung Liem district (Vinh Long).

Due to the development requirements of society and the advancement of science and technology, many households have switched to weaving mats by machine to have higher productivity and income. Mat production is high, the transportation system is developed, and traders come to people's homes to buy.

"Compared to 10 years ago, Dinh Yen mat weaving village in Dinh Yen commune, Lap Vo district (Dong Thap) is gradually improving," said Mr. Vo Thanh Nghia (55 years old), a resident of Dinh Yen mat weaving village. He said that a few years ago, when the mat weaving village became bustling again, he invested in 2 more mat weaving machines instead of doing it manually as before.

With this mat weaving machine, Mr. Nghia's mat products are sharper and can be delivered in large quantities according to orders.

Modern equipment helps the products become more sophisticated, meeting the large quantity needs of customers. Every month, he supplies the market with 500 mats of various types, depending on the customers' orders. For each mat sold, the family earns 15,000 VND.

"Now, few people in the mat village sell retail like before. Each household has 1-2 customers who come to buy according to orders. The customers usually give them enough money in advance for the quantity they want to buy, and then the mat makers use this money to buy raw materials to make the mats," Mr. Nghia added.

One day, each mat weaving machine can produce 15 finished mats.

Mats are selling well, so right next to them, Vo Thi Ngoc Huyen (Mr. Nghia's daughter) is also working at a machine to help her family. Each mat weaving machine has a maximum capacity of making 15 finished products per day.

About 1km from Mr. Nghia's house, Mrs. Huynh Thi Luong's house is also bustling with laughter, mixed with the clattering of mat weaving machines, creating a vibrant atmosphere in Dinh Yen craft village.

"She has been weaving mats since she was 10 years old for 40 years. The craft village was quiet at times, but recently it has started to become bustling again," said Ms. Luong, adding that each mat, depending on its size, costs between 42,000 and 60,000 VND/piece, helping many families attached to the craft village earn more income and stabilize their lives.

Mrs. Luong is selecting mats to prepare for her family's mat weaving process.

Ms. Truong Thi Diep, Vice Chairwoman of Lap Vo District People's Committee (Dong Thap) informed that through many ups and downs, Dinh Yen mat weaving is still passed down from generation to generation.

Currently, the village has over 800 households weaving mats. Most of them use weaving machines, so labor productivity is high.

"On average, each year, Dinh Yen mat village produces millions of mats of all kinds such as: snail-scale mats, cotton mats, chess mats, white mats, ancient mats... for consumption in provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region, Ho Chi Minh City and for export to Cambodia," Ms. Diep added.

Recreating the "Dinh Yen ghost market" to promote tourism development in the direction of linking with the development of craft villages is a necessary task that Dong Thap province is interested in implementing.
According to the plan, every month on October 14 (August 30 of the lunar calendar), November 11 (September 28 of the lunar calendar), December 9 (October 27 of the lunar calendar) in Dong Thap, there will be a "Dinh Yen ghost market" for tourists to visit, learn and experience many interesting things.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/nua-dem-thap-thom-canh-gio-di-mua-chieu-o-cho-ma-dong-thap-192230914231338206.htm