Ba Don conical hats in Nghe An aim to 'attach a star' to OCOP
Thanh Phuc - Ngoc Khanh - January 15, 2024 07:30
(Baonghean.vn) - When she became a daughter-in-law of Tuong Son commune (Anh Son), a girl from Ba Don (Quang Binh province) brought the conical hat making profession to her husband's hometown. She taught the profession to dozens of villagers, gradually building the conical hat brand of the Coconut land into an OCOP product.
In 2005, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong from Quang Hai commune (Ba Don town) - a place associated with the famous conical hat making profession in Quang Binh - came to Tuong Son commune (Anh Son) to marry. Far away from home, to ease her homesickness and her longing for her profession, she occasionally made hats for herself. The hats she made were both beautiful and durable, so the villagers loved them and asked her to make them. And then, she became attached to the hat making profession, building the hat making profession in her husband's hometown. Photo: Thanh PhucAt first, she taught her family members how to make hats and sell them to people in the village and commune. Later, the market expanded and consumption became easier, so she taught her skills to other women in the commune. Currently, there are about 10-15 women who know how to make hats. Photo: Hoai ThuThere are two types of Tuong Son conical hats: green conical hats and coconut conical hats. The difference here is that the hat-making process is completely manual. “While other places sew conical hats by machine, using pre-molded plastic frames, Tuong Son conical hats are still sewn by hand, with bamboo frames. Therefore, making a hat is very elaborate, time-consuming and labor-intensive, but the hats are beautiful, sturdy and popular in the market,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong. Photo: Thanh PhucThe purchased conical leaves are boiled and then dried in the sun until the green color of the leaves turns silvery white, flat but not brittle or torn. The dried conical leaves are heated on a hot pot, the craftsman will use a wet towel to pull them back and forth to flatten them. Photo: Hoai ThuThe conical leaves are then placed on a glass plate and cut into equal-sized pieces using a razor blade. The worker then arranges the leaves in the frame. Photo: Thanh PhucThe conical hat frame is made from dry and flexible bamboo strips that are shaved into small pieces, bent into circles of different diameters, and from low to high, large and then small spokes to form a conical hat frame. Photo: Hoai ThuNext is the stage of making the hat (also known as sewing the hat). Photo: Thanh PhucTo make a durable and beautiful hat, the hat maker must have skillful hands to keep the layers of leaves from tearing and help the hat stay flat, without wrinkles or dents. Photo: Hoai ThuAfter sewing, the hat is fixed with a brim. The maker will sharpen 1-2 flat bamboo strips called “tien” and attach them to the brim of the hat number 16 so that when sewn, the brim will be round and sturdy, and the hat can be used for a long time. Photo: Thanh PhucThe final step is to make the hat strap. Coloured threads are cleverly threaded into both sides of the hat brim to hook the strap. Photo: Hoai ThuCurrently, Tuong Son conical hats are mainly consumed within the district. On average, about 1,000 hats are sold to the market each month, at a price of 100,000-120,000 VND/piece, creating regular jobs for 10 idle farm workers. Ms. Lien - Head of the Women's Association of Hamlet 6, Tuong Son Commune said: "Taking advantage of the idle farming time, we learned the trade and made hats for Ms. Phuong. The wages are based on the products, although not much, but it still brings in extra income." Photo: Thanh PhucMr. Nguyen Tai Quy - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Son Commune (Anh Son) said: "Currently, we are building Tuong Son conical hats into an OCOP product; at the same time, through many different channels to promote conical hats, connect and find outlets for Tuong Son conical hats. From there, develop and expand the profession, create jobs and income for workers during the off-season". Photo: Hoai Thu
Clip: Phuc - Thu
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