A century of net weaving craft in Con Se

QTO - Located deep within the Gianh River, nearly 10km from the sea, the people of Con Se village, Nam Gianh commune, have remained steadfastly devoted to the fishing industry for hundreds of years. While the men of Con Se are the "master swimmers" of the sea, the women at home are the talented "artisans" who have preserved and passed down the traditional net-weaving craft of the village to this day. Net weaving not only provides a stable income for the people, especially women and the elderly, but also contributes significantly to the development of the village's seafood fishing industry.

Alongside the fishing industry

Con Se village was formed about 300 years ago, when our ancestors came here to "cultivate and establish a settlement". Living surrounded by the waters of the Gianh River, since the village was founded, the people of Con Se have chosen fishing and seafood harvesting as their livelihood.

According to the elders in Con Se village, for generations, while the men of the village sailed out to sea to catch seafood, the women at home diligently wove fishing gear to serve their husbands and children. The craft of net weaving in Con Se village thus developed and has existed alongside the fishing industry to this day.

For nearly 40 years, Phạm Cầu (68 years old), an elderly fisherman, has been involved in the fishing industry, using nets hand-woven by his wife and daughter to catch seafood. These nets are woven by the calloused hands and unwavering loyalty of the hardworking women on the shore.

The craft of net weaving has brought a stable income to women in Con Se - Photo: PP

Having spent almost her entire life weaving and mending fishing nets for her father, husband, and sons who went to sea, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Than (Mr. Cau's wife) is very familiar with the meticulous and diligent nature of this craft. According to Mrs. Than, almost all the women in Con Se fishing village know how to weave and mend nets. The older generation teaches the younger generation, and thus the net-weaving craft has been passed down through many generations.

Besides weaving nets for their husbands and sons' fishing needs, the skilled net weavers of Con Se also make extra nets to sell to local fishermen. The nets made by the women of Con Se, with their meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail, have become a strong brand, present in most major fishing areas nationwide and trusted by fishermen.

Thanks to this, along with fishing, net weaving has become the main source of income for the people of Con Se for many years. Ms. Mai Thi Quy (born in 1979) said: For a long time, her family's economy mainly depended on her husband's work at sea. However, fishing is highly dependent on the weather, sometimes good, sometimes not. Since taking up net weaving and mending as an additional source of income, the family has had an extra source of income, helping to stabilize their lives.

According to Ms. Quy, on normal days, she does contract work for a net manufacturing facility in the village. On days when fishing boats return for the lunar cycle after their fishing trips, she repairs and mends their nets. Thanks to this, she has regular work and a stable source of income to support her family, especially during times of rough seas when her husband cannot go out fishing.

Promoting the development of the maritime industry.

These days, the fishing village of Con Se becomes more bustling as most of the fishermen return home to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. During this time, while the boats are returning, the women of the village are busy mending their nets, preparing for their husbands and sons' new fishing trips.

Visiting Con Se these days, the main roads of the village are more vibrant with the green, white, red, and blue colors of fishing nets stretching into every alleyway. Along with the work of mending nets, large-scale net production facilities are also busier than ever with orders to prepare for the fishing trips at the beginning of the new year. In a house piled high with huge bundles of nets, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong (born in 1972) is meticulously attaching lead weights to the nets arranged on frames. After decades in the trade, Mrs. Hong's skills have become perfected, precise down to the smallest detail. In Con Se, Mrs. Hong is mentioned not only as an "artisan" in net weaving but also as the owner of one of the largest net production facilities in the village.

Fishing boats from Con Se Island dock at the harbor - Photo: PP

Ms. Hong said that her net production facility currently employs over 20 workers. Dozens of other households in the village also receive orders to process products at home for the facility. Depending on their abilities, each person takes on a different task – some weave, some attach floats, some press lead weights… to create a complete net. This work generates an income of 150,000-250,000 VND per person per day.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, while previously all stages of producing a complete product had to be done entirely by hand, nowadays the body of the net is already woven by machine. The net maker only needs to weave the netting system, attach floats, and secure the lead weights. However, to have a good fishing net, all stages, even with "professionalization," must still ensure consistency, harmony, and efficiency in the final product.

“Con Se village currently has 985 households with over 4,170 inhabitants. The vast majority of Con Se households are engaged in fishing, so currently more than 600 people from the village work abroad in the seafood fishing industry. In addition, there are more than 40 households engaged in cage fish farming on the Gianh River. However, there is one profession that we are very proud of: the people of Con Se are weaving and repairing fishing nets for many boats from North to South,” shared Nguyen Cuong, head of Con Se village.

"Our nets are well-made, and fishermen catch more fish and shrimp. Good reputation spreads far and wide. Fishermen who buy our nets find them durable and good, so they recommend us to their relatives and fellow fishermen, leading to more repeat purchases. That's why, no matter what profession you're in, you must have integrity, prioritizing reputation and quality above all else. You can't just finish a job because you want to meet a large order. At our facility, even though we outsource many stages of production to local people, every product we sell to customers undergoes rigorous quality control," Ms. Hong shared.

Mr. Nguyen Cuong, Head of Con Se village, observed: Although it is a village, Con Se currently has 270 fishing boats, including more than 100 large-capacity vessels specializing in fishing in distant waters. And the bountiful catches returned from the sea by the fishermen of Con Se are significantly contributed to by the net-weaving craft and the unity of the wives and mothers.

Phan Phuong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202512/tram-nam-nghe-dan-luoi-o-con-se-25214d9/