Nậu Bắc bamboo broom

(Baonghean) - "Anyone who goes to Nau Bac should see for themselves,

"Put the pot on the stove, carry the bucket to the field."

That's an old folk song, about the poor village of Nậu Bắc, now renamed Trường village (Thanh Lĩnh commune, Thanh Chương district). Visiting Trường village today, one is struck by the beautiful sight of clean, concrete-paved village roads and alleys, well-built houses, and, moreover, the fact that almost every household has someone involved in the craft of making bamboo brooms. Trường village's bamboo brooms are available from cities to rural areas...

One hot, sunny day in early October, I visited Truong village, long renowned for its bamboo brooms. From the beginning of the village, I saw many bamboo brooms, upside down, displayed for sale on both sides of the main road connecting Dung Bridge to the Ho Chi Minh Highway leading to the Ban Ve Hydropower resettlement area, which had recently been upgraded and expanded by the government. I stopped at a roadside stall where a sturdy woman was finishing the simple bamboo brooms. It turned out to be the family of Mr. Dau Manh Hung, the head of the Truong village bamboo broom production and business cooperative in Thanh Linh. When I asked about the village's bamboo broom making craft, Mr. Hung, initially reserved, suddenly became enthusiastic and told me about it...

The elderly people of Truong village participate in making bamboo brooms.

The craft of making bamboo brooms in Truong village began about five years ago. Before that, a woman named Hong from Truong village, who married into a family in Thanh Tuong commune, was known for her diligence. Every day, she would bring the brooms she made herself back to her maternal grandparents' village to sell. Seeing the simple construction and readily available materials, some villagers learned to imitate the method. From that broom, some elderly men in the village meticulously innovated and improved the process, resulting in more beautiful and durable products. Now, Truong village's bamboo brooms are made with two layers: the inner layer uses short strips, and the outer layer uses long strips. When assembled, the edges of the broom are even, making them more durable. For many years now, Truong village's bamboo brooms have been popular, with demand exceeding supply.

Holding a finished broom, Mr. Hung meticulously explained: "The materials used to make this broom are bamboo, reeds (or other similar species), steel wire, nails, and elastic band. The bamboo is split thinly, 0.8-1mm thick, to make the slats; the reeds, bamboo, or other similar species are as thick as a sickle handle, straight, and have their nodes cut off at both ends to make the broom handle; the steel wire is used to tie the legs together; the elastic band is used to secure the broom neck; and the nails are used to fasten the broom joints. It's that simple, but it requires diligence and perseverance to make a good broom. To ensure the broom lasts a long time, it's made in two layers, and the bamboo must be mature and evenly split. During use, it shouldn't be allowed to get wet from rainwater, and after sweeping, it should be hung in a dry place. With proper care, it can last up to 6 months. The villagers of Truong village sell each broom wholesale for 10,000 dong and retail for 12,000 dong." For the producers, each bamboo broom yields a profit of 4,000 to 6,000 VND. Unlike reed brooms used for sweeping inside the house, bamboo brooms are mainly used by people to sweep yards and gates, as they are very convenient. Because the brooms are densely braided, the broom bristles are strong but flexible, and they don't get dirty easily. Therefore, bamboo brooms are most commonly used in rural areas.

The products are sold on the main road, the section passing through Truong village.

As the head of the cooperative, Mr. Hung acts as a collection point for bamboo and broom handles, and also manages the sales of the products. He buys the bamboo, splits it into strips, and then brings the strips back to him to make brooms. As the "center" of broom production, he always keeps over 10,000 broom handles in his house, and every day people from the mountainous regions bring fresh bamboo to him. When customers need a large quantity of brooms, he can easily supply them. Therefore, families in difficult circumstances, without capital, can participate in this craft, as long as they are persistent. Ms. Lan, Mr. Hung's wife, is one of the best broom makers in the village. In conversation, Ms. Lan shared: "This job isn't physically demanding, but it requires hard work, so children, the elderly, and even people with disabilities can help with some tasks, such as splitting strips and cleaning handles." She balances selling and household chores, making over 20 brooms a day. When the number of brooms produced reached 300, Mr. Hung transported them to Vinh City, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Nghi Loc, etc., to supply to various shops.

While engrossed in learning about the bamboo broom-making craft with Mr. and Mrs. Hung, I didn't notice a man approaching and quietly listening to our conversation. It turned out to be Nguyen Van Ky, the Party Secretary and village head of Truong village. Mr. Ky proudly stated: "The village has many advantages for developing the bamboo broom-making craft. Its geographical location is favorable, with major roads running through it; moreover, the people are hardworking and encourage each other. Truong village has 275 households, 70% of which are engaged in agriculture, but 90% participate in the bamboo broom-making craft. Many families have retired grandparents who also participate. Besides increasing income, it fosters neighborly solidarity and makes life more joyful, especially for the elderly and disabled." Mr. Ky calculated: "On average, Truong village sells over 100,000 brooms to the market each month. At a price of 10,000 VND per broom, the villagers earn billions of VND." Every night, the village of Truong doesn't turn off the lights until 11 p.m. Here they split bamboo, there they make brooms, the air filled with laughter and chatter. Those who return to their hometown from afar always find this charming. With additional work, the villagers' lives are becoming increasingly stable. Hung, sitting beside me, added: "With the number of brooms we produce each month, we can't meet market demand. Customers from all over call to place orders constantly, sometimes we have to... postpone them. For example, this afternoon, a customer from Nghi Loc ordered 300 brooms, and by mid-afternoon we had only managed to gather over 100."

After saying that, Mr. Ky took me on a motorbike ride around the village. Along the main road connecting Dung Town to the Ho Chi Minh Highway, which runs through the village, countless bamboo brooms were being sold. Bamboo brooms are rustic and simple, and the way they are displayed for sale is also simple...

Climbing a short slope further into the village, we arrived at Mrs. Tran Thi Nhuan's house. At that moment, in Mrs. Nhuan's brick courtyard, five elderly men and women were making brooms. On the porch was a pot of strong green tea, along with a betel nut container. Each person held a knife, their index finger wrapped in several layers of cloth (to avoid cutting the skin), the blade gently gliding through the bamboo frame to create thin, even strips. Mr. Nhuan, Mr. Tan, Mr. Tu, Mr. Hoi, Mr. Luong… all over seventy years old, but their eyesight and hearing were still sharp. Among them, Mr. Nhuan and Mr. Luong received monthly government benefits, while the rest were farmers. During the conversation, Mr. Nhuan smiled and said, "Before, we old folks didn't have this profession. Every day we just went out for tea and betel nut. Since the bamboo broom-making profession started, every day, when our children and grandchildren go to work, we old folks gather here, each with a knife and a few bamboo stalks. We chat while splitting bamboo, it's so much fun. At the end of each day, someone comes to collect the bamboo strips. It's not about hundreds or thousands of dollars, but life feels happier and healthier. Seeing this, our children and grandchildren always encourage us..."

Mr. Nguyen Quang Moi, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Linh commune, enthusiastically stated: "Traditional craft villages play an important role in economic restructuring, job creation, and income improvement, especially contributing to the current New Rural Development (NRD) program. Previously, Thanh Linh had a broom-making craft, which was recognized as a traditional craft village by the Provincial People's Committee. However, due to raw material shortages, the broom-making craft experienced periods of stagnation during the year. With the bamboo broom craft in Truong village, although not yet recognized as a traditional craft village by relevant authorities, it is thriving, attracting many workers and increasing income for the people. While it's a secondary occupation, it's a primary source of income, contributing to the local NRD program. Thanh Linh is striving to complete all 19 NRD criteria by the end of 2014, therefore, the local government is creating favorable conditions and encouraging people to participate in the bamboo broom craft. Initially, the locality is requesting that relevant authorities recognize this as a village with a traditional craft, as a prerequisite for achieving NRD recognition."

The craft of making bamboo brooms is not arduous or complicated, but simple and close to the lives of farmers. Thanks to their appreciation, preservation, and development of their strengths, the people of Truong village maintain this craft and live healthy and productive lives. That's why, in Truong village, wherever you go, you only hear stories of business success or children's academic achievements, and there are rarely any social problems or gambling. More and more households in the village are becoming well-off and wealthy, with poverty only among those unfortunate enough to suffer from illness or disease.

Leaving the village in the golden afternoon sun, the image of the elderly people with their white hair, bright smiles revealing their dark teeth, meticulously tending to the soft bamboo poles, filled me with a sense of peace...

Text and photos:Xuan Hoang