The quintessence of modern craft villages

Hung Ha is not only the cradle of the revolutionary movement but also the place where dozens of craft villages with hundreds of years of history are preserved and developed. In the modern life, Hung Ha people still persistently breathe life into each product, both preserving the quintessence of the craft village and boldly innovating and creating so that the traditional craft can continuously reach out, carrying the aspirations and pride of the homeland throughout the domestic and international markets.

Báo Thái Bình•25/04/2025

Scarf weaving in Thai Phuong commune (Hung Ha).

Sow seeds from the roots - blossom from the profession

When it was still early in the morning, Me village, Tan Hoa commune, was bustling into a new working day. The sound of flour milling machines, rice paper making machines, and cutting machines rang out regularly. That was also the time when Mr. Vu Van Bang's production workshop began operating. This was the busiest time of the day for his family to promptly serve customer needs. Mr. Bang shared: To make fragrant, delicious, and flexible products is a harmonious combination of stages. Along with that is the ingenuity, meticulousness, and dedication of the craftsman. Instead of doing it manually like before, I have invested in modern machinery to improve product quality. Not only making rice paper for my family, the workshop also makes rice paper for hire for dozens of households in the village. Although making rice paper is very hard, we are very happy because the product has conquered customers all over the country. Effective production has brought my family an income of hundreds of millions of VND/year.

Today, Me Village is different, with many modern, spacious high-rise buildings and existing concrete roads. Currently, the village has 120 households producing rice paper with 22 rice paper making machines, one machine for rent to 6-7 households. Mr. Pham Dinh Dai, Secretary of the Tan Hoa Commune Party Committee, said: Me Village was recognized as a craft village by the Provincial People's Committee in 1993. During the production process, people have proactively invested in machinery, while focusing on ensuring quality and food safety, so the products are sold immediately. The production value of the craft village accounts for 20% of the total production value of the whole commune. In particular, to maintain and develop the craft village, the commune has established a cooperative group and is promoting trade and advertising products on the market, gradually building Me Village rice paper into an OCOP product.

Located on the gentle Luoc River, Hoi village, Tan Le commune has long been famous for its traditional mat weaving craft. Through the ups and downs of time, Hoi mats still retain their quintessence in each strand and each weave. However, in the context of increasingly fierce integration and competition, the children of the craft village are constantly innovating and creating to continue the hundred-year journey of the craft village. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Hai Trieu Xuan village is the third generation in his family to be involved in the traditional mat weaving craft. Each month, his workshop produces an average of nearly 200 sedge mats. Mr. Hung shared: Mat weaving is not too difficult but it is very hard because it has to go through many stages from classifying sedge, drying... to weaving. The sedge fibers must be long, small, even and not joined; after weaving, the process of sewing the mat edges will continue, creating designs and durability for the product. Up to now, when applying machines, it is even more required that the craftsman be highly skilled to put the sedge into the weaving mold quickly and evenly; At the same time, it is necessary to process the edges and make them neat and even while still maintaining the technique and aesthetics typical of Hoi village mats.

The most obvious improvement of Hoi mat weaving village is that since 2005, many households have boldly invested in machinery to replace human labor. Having devoted her whole life to the traditional mat weaving profession, Ms. Luu Thi Ngoc, Hai Trieu Xuan village, boldly invested hundreds of millions of VND to buy 35 plastic mat weaving machines. Currently, on average, Ms. Ngoc's workshop produces 100 - 200 mats per day. Ms. Ngoc shared: Since putting machines into production, the products are more beautiful, orders are more stable. My family also creates jobs for more than 30 workers in the commune. We are very excited that the craft village is increasingly "healthy" and "sustainable". Currently, the products of the craft village are present in many provinces in the country and exported to markets in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc.

When mentioning Hoi mats in Tan Le commune, people think of the saying: "Eating hom rice, sleeping in coffin beds, covering Hoi mats" are famous products that few places can make. Mr. Ha Van Tuy, Vice Chairman of Tan Le Commune People's Committee, said: In 2024, the commune's economic growth rate will reach 9.5%. Currently, the whole commune has 29 households with 90 sedge mat weaving machines, attracting 420 workers; 8 nylon mat weaving facilities with 310 machines, creating jobs for more than 1,000 workers inside and outside the commune. The total income from the mat making profession is estimated at 500 billion VND/year, the average income is from 72 - 96 million VND/person/year.

Aspiration to reach far - maintain a sustainable career

In recent years, the appearance of craft villages in Hung Ha has changed significantly. There are no longer images of drying yards full of sedge or batches of rice paper drying in the sun in the middle of the field as before, instead there is the bustling sound of modern machinery in each production workshop. High-rise buildings have sprung up, village roads and alleys have been concreted cleanly. Under the factory roof or next to the weaving looms, there are still images of people working hard but with new ways of working, new thinking. Ms. Vu Thi Huong, Me village, Tan Hoa commune shared: People are excited because they do not have to leave their homeland, but do the traditional profession left by their ancestors on their homeland, have a stable life, and a good income. Young people continue their old profession, the elderly can still participate in suitable labor. Having a profession, having work, having income, that is the motivation for people to trust more, attach to their homeland, and strive to get rich legitimately.

Hung Ha is a district with many vibrant craft villages, not only maintaining traditional crafts but also introducing and developing many new crafts, making a positive contribution to socio-economic development. In recent years, with support mechanisms, creating favorable conditions in terms of land and capital from the central government and the province, craft villages have made remarkable progress. The whole district has 53 craft villages, 4 craft communes recognized by the Provincial People's Committee, of which 20 are scarf weaving villages, 22 are mat weaving villages, 5 are rattan and bamboo weaving villages, 3 are vermicelli and cake villages, 1 is carpentry village, 2 are incense making villages are always bustling. In 2024, the production value from craft villages is estimated at 2,560.6 billion VND, the production value from crafts is 1,816.9 billion VND. The development of crafts and craft villages has created jobs for 21,580 workers, accounting for 62.6% of the total number of workers in the craft villages.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, Deputy Head of the District's Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: Hung Ha focuses on developing occupations and craft villages in association with developing enterprises and production facilities; at the same time, focusing on developing cotton and fabric weaving, mat weaving, sewing, carpentry, rattan and bamboo weaving, food and food processing, thereby helping investors grasp the market, innovate technology, and gradually affirm the position and role of enterprises in the market economy. In order for occupations and craft villages to continue to develop in the coming time, the district will step up propaganda and mobilize families to convert their models from production and business households to establishing enterprises; focus on training and developing skilled human resources and awareness of industrial labor discipline; at the same time, organize annual competitions to promote competition between enterprises and technical learning among workers.

The combination of tradition and modernity has opened up a sustainable direction for craft villages in Hung Ha. Preserving the craft is not only for preservation. Preserving the craft is for development, that is the aspiration of the people here. The aspiration to reach far with the hands of labor and the enduring love for the traditional craft.