(Baonghean.vn) – Weaving has long been a traditional occupation of the Khmu people in the highlands of Nghe An. Most Khmu people are proficient in weaving. The products they make are mainly sturdy and sophisticated rattan chairs. In particular, the Khmu people consider themselves to be the 'ancestors' of weaving in the Western region of Nghe An.
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| Weaving is usually done on off-season days. The main product of the Khmu people is rattan chairs. Each chair is made in 3-5 days and sold for 100,000 VND/chair. Mr. Moong Kham Xinh, Na Be village, Xa Luong commune (Tuong Duong district) said: 'I don't know where, but in the mountainous region of Nghe An, the weaving profession originated from the Khmu people, other ethnic groups all learn weaving from our people'. |
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| The main materials to make a woven product of the Khmu people are rattan and bamboo. |
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| Rattan is cut from the forest and wrapped around the pillars of the stilt house to make rings and chair frames. |
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| The rattan bender must have good health and skillful techniques so that when removed, the ring remains intact. |
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| Long rattan strands are also dried on the fences. |
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| The chair legs are selected from old male bamboo and dried in the kitchen to ensure hardness. |
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| To make a chair, the craftsman must be skillful and patient in threading each small rattan fiber. |
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| The finished chair surface must ensure durability and beauty. |
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| The finished chairs are dried in the stove, the longer they are dried, the more beautiful and durable the color of the chair becomes. In Na Be village, people mainly weave chairs because of the easy output and reasonable price. As for other products such as rattan trays, people only start making them when there is an order from a customer. The price of a rattan tray ranges from 700,000 to 800,000 VND/piece. |
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| Rattan chairs can be used for decades and are not only household items of the Khmu people but also a typical cultural product of this ethnic community. |
Dao Tho
