From skillful hands to OCOP brand: The quintessence of craftsmanship from a century-old craft village

(Chinhphu.vn) - Only about 30 km south of Hanoi center, peacefully located along the Day River, Phu Vinh village, Phu Nghia commune (formerly Chuong My district) has long been known as the "capital of bamboo and rattan weaving in Vietnam". Here, bamboo and rattan are not only raw materials, but also materials into which people breathe love, intelligence and sophisticated techniques to create works of art that have reached all five continents.

Ms. Huong (far left) and craftsmen weaving bamboo and rattan products of the craft village. Photo: VGP/Thien Tam

According to village legend, Phu Vinh rattan and bamboo weaving has existed since the 17th century. Initially, the products were just simple items serving daily life such as: baskets, trays, winnowing trays, winnowing trays, trays, etc.

As time passed, along with trade, the talented hands of the people here have raised the craft to the level of art. Not only simple weaving, they also know how to coordinate the natural colors of bamboo and rattan, combining bending, whittling, and dyeing techniques to create sophisticated patterns and motifs.

Coming to Phu Vinh today, we not only see this as a craft village but also a long story of love for labor, of the spirit of preserving national identity amid the flow of time.

Sharing with reporters, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong, owner of Phuc Quang rattan and bamboo weaving facility, said that Phu Vinh currently has hundreds of households working in the profession, with diverse products ranging from household items (baskets, trays, boxes, vases) to interior decorations and high-end souvenirs. All are 100% handmade and require meticulousness and creativity of the craftsman.

A Phu Vinh rattan and bamboo product is born through many elaborate stages. After weaving, the product is dried, washed, dipped in a special safe glue, and then dried again. This glue layer not only protects the product from mold but also increases its durability, allowing the product to be used for decades if properly preserved.

As a child growing up in the village, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong has been involved in the craft since she was 5 years old. Her family has been involved in the craft for three or four generations. Someone said: "Here, people touch bamboo and rattan from a young age, and can weave before they can write."

The craft is not only a means of livelihood, but also a source of pride, a link between generations. Walking along the small alleys of Phu Vinh, you will hear the sound of bamboo slats, the sound of knives sharpened to carve rattan, laughter mixed with the sweet scent of bamboo drying in the sun. In many families, from the elderly to the children, everyone knows how to weave.

Phu Vinh rattan and bamboo products. Photo: VGP/Thien Tam

According to Ms. Huong, Phu Vinh bamboo and rattan weaving village has long been a symbol of ingenuity and sophistication in each handmade product. Amidst the modern pace of life, the diligent hands of the craftsmen still preserve and develop the traditional craft that has existed for hundreds of years.

Thanks to its durability and high aesthetic value, Phu Vinh's rattan and bamboo products are not only popular domestically but also exported to Japan, Korea, the US, France, Germany... with a value of billions of VND each year. Currently, Ms. Huong's family and other businesses in the village have also applied e-commerce, introducing products via social networks such as Facebook, TikTok, Zalo to help the traditional craft reach more and more customers without being limited by geographical distance.

To spread and expand the brand value, the rattan and bamboo products of Ms. Hoang Thi Huong's family participated in the OCOP product evaluation process of Hanoi City. By last June, the facility had three products (2 round rattan trays and a rectangular tray) certified with 3-star OCOP. This is a testament to the quality and reputation of the products, while enhancing the brand of Phu Vinh craft village in the market.

Currently, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong's facility has 8 workers working year-round with an income of about 250,000 VND/day. In addition, she also assigns work to many households in the village, contributing to creating jobs and preserving the profession for the locality. After deducting expenses, her family's revenue reaches about 70 million VND/month - this is an impressive number for a traditional handicraft.

However, according to Ms. Huong, despite its reputation, Phu Vinh bamboo and rattan weaving still faces many difficulties due to increasingly scarce natural resources and cheap industrial products flooding the market.

To keep the fire burning, many artisans have opened free vocational classes, cooperated with art schools to train young designers, and combined production with experiential tourism . Visitors to the village can weave a small item, hear about the history of the craft village, and take the product home as a meaningful souvenir.

Phu Vinh craft village is a "living museum", where tradition and modernity blend together. Through the hands of artisans, rattan and bamboo strips become products of both aesthetic value and a testament to the endless creativity of the Vietnamese people.

Kindness

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/tu-ban-tay-kheo-leo-den-thuong-hieu-ocop-tinh-hoa-thu-cong-tu-lang-nghe-tram-tuoi-102250812144816147.htm