Mats have always been closely associated with the lives of Vietnamese people, and Vietnam has many famous mat-weaving craft villages, with Cà Mau being one of the provinces that is home to many representative mat-weaving villages.

Not only is Cà Mau the homeland of rice fields, orchards, and prosperous rural villages, it is also well known for places that were once famous for mat weaving such as Tân Duyệt (Đầm Dơi), Tân Lộc (Thới Bình)… but the most renowned of all is the floral-pattern mat of Tân Thành. Using materials such as sedge fibers, jute twine, and weaving looms, the women here have woven durable and beautiful mats, creating the distinctive brand of Cà Mau mats.

From sedge plants growing wild on marshlands, the people of Cà Mau have woven sturdy and beautiful mats with patterns created directly by dyed sedge fibers, rather than printed like some mats from other regions. From this, the Cà Mau mat-weaving craft village was formed.

Weaving and plaiting mats from sedge plants is a handicraft industry with great potential in Cà Mau, thanks to its available workforce and abundant local raw materials. Almost every household here owns at least one or two looms. Although the mat-weaving trade has experienced many ups and downs and involves hard work, the people of Tân Thành—following a craft passed down from generation to generation—remain diligent in preserving and developing this traditional village craft. Each year, households here produce millions of products that are distributed throughout the Mekong Delta and the Southeastern region of Vietnam.

According to Mrs. Châu Thị Niệm, an artisan who has practiced mat weaving for 72 years, the Cà Mau mat-weaving craft was formed hundreds of years ago. It originated from abroad and was introduced to southern Vietnam around the 15th century, during the reign of King Lê Thánh Tông after his victory over Champa. Although at times it faced fierce competition from imported nylon mats, Cà Mau mats have continued to quietly endure.

Source: Khám Phá VN