The hundred-year vitality of the blacksmith village in Bac Lieu

10/23/2024 | 11:29

TPO - The blacksmithing profession in Ngan Dua town (Hong Dan district, Bac Lieu) has existed for hundreds of years, proving the vitality of the agricultural tool manufacturing profession. Despite many ups and downs, the blacksmiths here are always red hot and the craftsmen are still determined to stick to the traditional profession of their ancestors.

Clip: Traditional knife forging village in Ngan Dua (Hong Dan district, Bac Lieu)

Ngan Dua blacksmithing (Bac Lieu) has been around for over a hundred years and is famous for many agricultural tools such as knives, hammers, planks, sickles... Many veteran blacksmiths here do not know exactly when the profession began and who was the founder of the profession.

In Ngan Dua town, Hong Dan district, there are currently more than a dozen forges, of which five are in continuous operation. In the past, to create a knife, 3-5 people had to hammer and grind very carefully, meticulously at each stage.

Most of the blacksmiths here have gradually switched from manual to machine work. Steel stamping machines have been invested in to create higher productivity.

The family of Mr. Quach Van Nguyen (Ngan Dua town, Hong Dan district, Bac Lieu) has maintained the blacksmithing profession for 4 generations. Although supported by machinery, the blacksmithing profession is still very difficult and above all, one must have heart and love for the profession to survive.

“This profession has been passed down through many generations, like the origin of Ngan Dua, so we must know how to cherish and preserve it. If we want to make a product, it has to go through dozens of stages, so in 63 provinces and cities across the country, no one will do it, because this profession is very hard,” Mr. Nguyen confided.

Forging is important in choosing fuel and steel, and must go through many stages but does not follow any model or standard, relying almost entirely on the experience left by previous people.

Mr. Tran Van Tan has been involved in the blacksmithing profession for about 40 years. Mr. Tan used to transport hammers, coal furnaces, and grinders onto boats and travel up and down rivers, big and small, from Bac Lieu to Ca Mau, Kien Giang, and Hau Giang, etc.

“Currently, my furnace forges about 15-20 thin knives and about 10 thick knives every day. The average daily income is also a few hundred thousand, helping the family have a stable income, enough to live on, not to the point of being rich.”

Forging requires constant exposure to hot fire, so it requires the craftsman to have physical strength, skillful hands, sharp eyes and patience.

Mr. Truong Van Thuan - Chairman of Ngan Dua town (Hong Dan district) said that during the prosperous time of knife forging, there were about 25 households, but now there are only 14 households still working in the profession. Ngan Dua knives "respect reputation" above all else, so there are always customers coming to order.

“In the coming time, the locality plans to mobilize people to make OCop products and establish cooperatives to promote the Ngan Dua knife brand. The commune also promotes brands through tiktok, zalo, etc. and promotes them in conjunction with traditional craft tours,” Mr. Thuan shared.

Although there are still many difficulties and many ups and downs in life, the blacksmithing craft village in Ngan Dua has been preserved through many generations, passing on the profession to descendants so that the ancestors' profession does not disappear.

Tan Loc

Source: https://tienphong.vn/suc-song-tram-nam-cua-lang-nghe-ren-o-bac-lieu-post1684753.tpo