Con Cuong: Developing the economy from traditional crafts

Traditional weaving village producing goods for export.

Ban Diem, Chau Khe commune, is a purely agricultural village in a mountainous district.Con CuongThis area is home to over 153 households of the Thai and Dan Lai ethnic groups. In the village, the craft of weaving bamboo and rattan has existed since ancient times. People still weave during their leisure time, creating products for daily life such as fans, rattan trays, baskets, carrying bags, and rice presses. Excess products are sold at the market or exchanged for other necessities. However, generally speaking, the profit from weaving bamboo and rattan products is negligible.

Bamboo and rattan weaving production at Ban Diem Bamboo and Rattan Weaving Cooperative, Chau Khe commune. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The rattan and bamboo weaving craft in Diem village has "flourished" since receiving guidance and support from various levels of government and the efforts of the local people. Ms. Lang Thi Hoa, Chairwoman of the Diem Village Rattan and Bamboo Weaving Cooperative, recounted: In 2014, with the support of Projects VIE 028, Oxfam Hong Kong, and VIRI on the development of rural industries in Vietnam, the Diem Village rattan and bamboo weaving production group was established. In 2016, the group participated in the Central Poverty Reduction Competition and won third prize. From there, the group received further technical training from the Vietnam Institute of Rural Industries Research. The district, province, and commune provided machinery, a showroom, and helped introduce their products everywhere. Within a year, the group was upgraded to a cooperative…

With this guidance and support, the rattan and bamboo products of Diem village have moved beyond the local market and reached markets in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Japan, Germany, France, and more. From producing purely household items, the Diem Village Rattan and Bamboo Cooperative has expanded to producing souvenirs and decorative items for tourists. Members of the cooperative continuously create new designs, patterns, and unique colors for their rattan and bamboo handicrafts. In 2018, Diem village was honored to be recognized as a small-scale handicraft village by the People's Committee of Nghe An province.

The unique rattan and bamboo products of Diem village are becoming increasingly diverse and distinctive, meeting the needs of domestic and international tourists. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Ms. Lang Thi Hoa shared: "The unique rattan and bamboo products of Diem village are becoming increasingly diverse and unique, meeting the needs of domestic and international tourists. Orders are coming in continuously, keeping the 75 members of the cooperative extremely busy. With the rattan and bamboo weaving craft, each member of the cooperative (mainly elderly people, single women, and those with weak health who cannot participate in farming) earns 4.5 million VND/month. When they started, 8 out of 54 households in the cooperative were poor. After a period of time, with increased income, 6 families have escaped poverty… During the two years affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the cooperative still ensured an income of 2-2.5 million VND/person/month for its members."

Enhancing the value of bamboo and rattan

The Ban Diem Bamboo and Rattan Weaving Cooperative, with its minimal investment, has achieved excellent results. This production model has utilized idle labor resources; exploited the abundant bamboo and rattan resources in the area; and successfully preserved and promoted the traditional craft… becoming an inspiration for entrepreneurship and a legitimate driving force for wealth creation for many localities, businesses, and individuals in Con Cuong district. Among them is Mr. Thai Dang Tien, from Khe Choang village, Chau Khe commune. Thai Dang Tien recounted: "My entrepreneurial idea stemmed from the success of the Ban Diem Bamboo and Rattan Weaving Cooperative. From this model, I want to further enhance the value of local bamboo and rattan into household products, decorative handicrafts, and display items.”

The Ban Diem Bamboo and Rattan Weaving Cooperative has become an inspiration for Thai Dang Tien's entrepreneurial venture. Photo: Ba Hau

After many years working abroad in Taiwan, Mr. Thai Dang Tien returned to his hometown of Con Cuong to start his own business. Inspired by the Ban Diem Bamboo and Rattan Weaving Cooperative, Mr. Tien realized that Con Cuong has abundant bamboo and rattan resources that can be regenerated in a short time. These resources can be used to create environmentally friendly products. Household and handicraft products made from bamboo and rattan are currently popular in the market and will gradually replace environmentally harmful products in the future. In addition, Con Cuong has many talented artisans who regularly create handcrafted products from bamboo and rattan.

Based on this understanding, in 2019, Mr. Tien established the Tra Lan Con Cuong workshop and cooperative. To transform bamboo into handicraft products, Thai Dang Tien tirelessly worked hard, learning and researching secrets to prevent termite infestation, creating designs, and "breathing life" into his products. All parts of the bamboo plant can be used as good materials for products. The bamboo stalks are used to make cups, teapots, flower vases, and decorative items. The branches are used for handles and faucets. The bamboo roots are used to make teapots. Products crafted from the roots of the bamboo plant, even of the same species, cannot be identical but will have their own unique characteristics.

Using bamboo and other similar materials, Thai Dang Tien has crafted hundreds of different products. Photo: Ba Hau

During the process of implementing his idea and establishing the cooperative, Mr. Tien received enthusiastic support from local government leaders and relevant agencies. After two years of operation, the Tra Lan Con Cuong Cooperative, founded by Thai Dang Tien, has been able to produce hundreds of different products from bamboo and rattan, including: bamboo spoons, pen holders, ballpoint pen bodies, drinking cups, vases, and exquisite tea sets. These products have been displayed, introduced, and sold to tourists at several tourist destinations inside and outside the province. Many products have been praised for their unique ideas, refined aesthetics, and usefulness. The workshop now employs 15 workers (including 7 skilled workers and 3 people with disabilities), with an average income of 4-5 million VND per month. Also in that year, Thai Dang Tien boldly participated in the "Startup Ideas and Projects Competition for Young People in Nghe An Province in 2021" with the project "Sustainable Development of the Value Chain of Native Bamboo" and won first prize.

Developing the economy through traditional crafts.

Mr. Tien's idea of ​​producing handicrafts not only enhances the economic efficiency of bamboo, which is abundant in the locality, but also creates jobs, increases income for people, and contributes to environmental protection; at the same time, it continues to open up prospects for both economic development from traditional crafts and preservation of the ethnic cultural identity of the people in the district.Con Cuong.

Currently, Con Cuong district is continuously promoting the preservation, maintenance, and effective development of traditional crafts. Photo: Ba Hau

It is known that over the years, Con Cuong district has continuously promoted the preservation, maintenance, and effective development of traditional crafts. Through attracting programs and projects such as Project VE028 and Program 135, training courses in traditional crafts have been opened; craft villages such as Chau Khe rattan weaving, Mon Son brocade weaving, and Mau Duc rice wine production have been established; attracting hundreds of workers. In addition, the district has also strengthened joint ventures and linkages to find markets and guarantee product sales… In practice, compared to other professions, the income from traditional crafts, although not high, is not selective in terms of who can do it; it provides employment for people during the off-season and those past working age.

The development of traditional crafts in the mountainous district of Con Cuong has shown promising prospects and is moving in the right direction recently. However, in the context of development, local traditional crafts still face significant challenges, including: a lack of stable and long-term markets; a shortage of young workers; and intense competition from industrially produced products. The market's fickle nature demands that producers constantly adapt and anticipate customer preferences.

To address these difficulties and obstacles, Con Cuong district is currently accelerating plans to open vocational training classes for traditional crafts; and to find markets and guarantee the purchase of products. Mr. Vi Van Quy, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district, said: In the coming time, the district will continue to connect and open more short-term vocational training classes in villages and communes in disadvantaged areas, as well as seek markets for people's products. Another important solution is to develop traditional crafts in conjunction with community tourism to create sustainable, breakthrough development and improve the living standards of the people.