Tien GiangThe sedge weaving craft appeared in Tân Phước district – Tiền Giang a very long time ago. Under the skillful hands of the artisans, from the raw material of grey sedge (Lepironia articulata), many beautiful and valuable products such as mats, handbags, hats… have been created.
Phú Mỹ sedge weaving village
The thousands-of-hectares Phú Mỹ sedge field
The Phú Mỹ sedge field, spanning thousands of hectares, is a quite abundant source of raw material for the locality to develop the handicraft industry. Like many other areas in the new land of Southern Vietnam, in the past, sedge grew wild in abundance in Tân Phước. When dried, the sedge stems are very strong and durable, so the local people used the dried sedge stems to weave various items such as: handbags, sleeping mats, hats… However, the economic efficiency was not high.
In 2004, the project “Sustainable exploitation of sedge fields combined with preserving local handicrafts” was implemented, which not only contributed to directly and indirectly creating jobs for thousands of poor laborers, most of whom are Khmer ethnic people, but also maintained an abundant food source and a friendly, ideal living environment for the migratory Red-crowned Cranes.
Phú Mỹ sedge weaving village
Weaving work requires dexterity
Today, this type of sedge has been cultivated as a specialized crop, harvested after one year. After being brought home, the sedge is sorted into bundles according to different lengths. Such bundles are called “neo”.
After being sun-dried for two full days, the sedge stems must also be pressed through a machine to make them evenly thin and completely dry.
The weaving work is not difficult but requires the artisans’ dexterity to produce products that are both sturdy and beautiful. The craft village of sedge weaving in Phú Mỹ, Kiên Giang supplies a large quantity of sedge-woven products to the domestic market as well as for export every year. The village not only produces items according to existing designs but also creates many beautiful new patterns, helping its woven products to have a stable position in the market.
Phú Mỹ sedge weaving village
Anyone who has the opportunity to pass through the Southwest border region will witness with their own eyes the bustling scene of sedge weaving activities in Phú Mỹ – Vĩnh Điều village, Kiên Lương district.
The sedge weaving craft is now thriving more than before because the export market is expanding. Currently, the lives of the people in the sedge field area are clearly improving day by day, and the rural landscape is changing for the better every day.
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