Golden straw tells the story of rebirth

On summer days, the sun pours down like honey on the fields in Nghia Do valley, which is also the time when golden straws dry on the ground after the harvest. In Nghia Do, straw is no longer an agricultural waste product used only for cooking or lining livestock pens. Straw is “reviving” in the talented hands of Tay and Dao women by the fire, under the stilt house roof; or in the small yard of the idle farming days after the harvest, in beautiful everyday stories like poetry…

Straw - a material that was once forgotten, in the past, every harvest season, Nghia Do people often piled it into large mounds behind their houses, to save for the cold winter days. Straw was used to light fires, roof buffalo pens, or to shade livestock and poultry... But then, modern life knocked on the door, gas stoves replaced wood stoves, straw was gradually "pushed" out of the "cycle" of daily life, becoming agricultural waste that few people care about. But in that silence, Nghia Do people, especially artisans, elderly women and young people who love traditional culture, came up with another thought: Why not recycle straw, not let those golden fibers continue to tell new stories?

We visited the house of Mrs. Truong Thi Gao in Nam Ria village, Nghia Do commune - the person who was taught how to make handicrafts of commonly used household items from straw.

In the wooden house, Mrs. Gao skillfully weaves each strand of straw into beautiful cushions. Mrs. Gao shares: "In the past, I only weaved straw to tie chickens, then to make lids for cold rice cookers... The items made from straw were all taught to me by my grandmother and mother. But once I saw people decorating a restaurant with straw, I thought: Why don't I make something more beautiful from the things associated with my childhood?"

From egg baskets, straw coasters..., each product tells a story. Through the hands of Mrs. Gao and the women in the village, the straw strands are rolled, braided, and bent... Each product takes from several hours to several days to complete, not only the effort but also the memories, passion, and love for the homeland of the Tay and Dao ethnic women here.

Not only making household products, Nghia Do people also "tell stories" through "decor" (design) items from straw - decorating corners of houses, coffee shops, homestays or display booths at fairs.

In a small corner of the stilt house, horses and five-pointed stars made from straw are soft and attractive... "Giant" bundles of straw like hats, caps, umbrellas... make the space more beautiful and intimate. Straw is contributing to creating a green, friendly living space, with the local and unique breath of Nghia Do.

The typical and impressive products of the straw recycling group in Nghia Do are egg baskets, bracelets and even cute and adorable animals made from golden straw fibers.

Ms. Kim Thi Mai, who weaves egg baskets, said: "Straw is soft, but when woven, it is very strong. I add a thick layer of straw inside so that I can hold the eggs both beautifully and safely."

The egg baskets, with a gentle straw yellow color, are both convenient and carry the scent of the countryside. Kim Thi Mai's hand-woven group has brought this product to social networking sites, to fairs and attracted many orders from clean agricultural stores and eco-cafes. More importantly, all straw products have spread the message of green living, limiting plastic waste and preserving local identity.

"We don't just sell products, we want to tell stories about the fields, about the women in the highlands who diligently preserve their crafts and create to promote traditional cultural values. Straw is the connecting thread," Ms. Mai added.

Nghia Do is more beautiful and greener from simple things. Nghia Do today is "changing its skin" every day, not only thanks to clean concrete roads and spacious schools, but also thanks to changes in people's awareness of the living environment and indigenous cultural values. With the support of the communal government and sustainable development models, people are trained in handicraft making techniques and learn how to design products according to market demand. Women's and youth groups actively organize green markets on weekends, where straw products create a highlight to attract customers.

"Every harvest season, I no longer see straw being burned and wasted. Instead, the whole neighborhood sits together in the afternoons to weave, the children make crowns from straw, weave pretty bracelets, and make adorable animals that they like with the golden straw... The atmosphere of the countryside seems to revive beautiful memories" - Ms. Mai shared.

The regeneration of straw is also a way to preserve the soul of the countryside. In those golden straws, there is the chirping laughter of children, the familiar smell of kitchen smoke and the desire to beautify life in a unique, rustic, enduring and profound way.

Perhaps somewhere, recycling from agriculture by-products is too familiar. But in Nghia Do, where each roof still preserves the traditional lifestyle, the regeneration of straw is not only an environmental issue. It is a story of cultural love, the quiet creativity of people who love beauty from the smallest things. The journey to turn straw into green products in small corners of living rooms, coffee shops, on windows... to make Nghia Do a unique eco -tourism destination of Lao Cai still needs more time. But each strand of straw, each clump of straw is telling a story - the story of a land that is changing by the hands and hearts of the indigenous people.

Amidst the rapid changes of modern life, things that seem to have been forgotten are quietly reviving - like golden straw under the sun. In Nghia Do, this journey of rebirth not only beautifies the space, but also nurtures beautiful stories - about people, about memories and about love for the homeland.

Presented by: Bich Hue

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/rom-vang-ke-chuyen-tai-sinh-post648026.html