Old age but still enthusiastic in passing on the passion of the profession
(Baonghean.vn) - Recently, the traditional occupations of ethnic minorities are at risk of being lost. In order to preserve the occupation and pass it on to the next generation, the elderly have been working day and night to pass on the occupation to their children and grandchildren.
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| Na Be village, Xa Luong commune, Tuong Duong highland district is home to the Kho Mu ethnic group, an ethnic group with a traditional craft of weaving. The whole village has 1,044 people, but the number of people who know how to weave can be counted on the fingers. Mr. Moong Van Duc (born in 1950), an old man known for his skills and techniques in weaving. Mr. Duc shared, “Weaving is not difficult, you just need to be diligent and hard-working to be able to weave. We were only 18 or 20 years old and were proficient at weaving. The young generation today hardly knows how to weave. When they grow up, they leave the village to work in companies in the South, but very few want to learn the craft and do the traditional weaving of the ethnic group. Honestly, I am very worried that this traditional craft of the Kho Mu ethnic group, if not passed down to their children, will easily disappear.” Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Having learned to knit nearly 50 years ago, Mr. Duc knows how to knit all the items in his house and knit them very beautifully. In recent years, people in and outside the area often come to ask him to knit. Thanks to that, he also has a decent income from the weaving profession. Currently, each rattan chair he sells at home costs 100-120 thousand VND, each day he makes about 2 chairs. With the desire to preserve the profession for the younger generation, so anyone who wants to learn, he is always willing to teach for free. Up to now, Mr. Duc has taught about 10 people in and outside the village without charging any fee. In the photo, Mr. Duc is wrapping rattan to make a chair. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Weaving is mainly a male occupation, but that does not mean that women do not know how to weave. Ms. Ven Thi Manh, residing in Na Be village, Xa Luong commune, said: "I am over 70 years old and can retire, but partly because I want to work to earn a little more income to help my children and grandchildren, and partly because my children and grandchildren see me doing this to learn from their grandparents." Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Like the Khmu, the Thai ethnic group also has a long-standing tradition of weaving. Mr. Vang Van Vong, residing in Can village, Tam Thai commune, shared: “Weaving has been in my blood since I was a child, whenever I have free time, I weave. My children are all grown up, weaving is not just to earn extra income, but for me, weaving is also to preserve the profession, to preserve the traditional beauty of the nation”. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| For generations, the Mong people have known how to use giang to make paper, not for writing but for religious purposes. The way to make paper is not too complicated but also requires the maker to have experience. The giang chosen to make paper is not too old, not too young. After being brought home, it will be split to remove the core, then put in a pot to boil thoroughly with kitchen ash for about 1 to 2 days. Next, it will be incubated for many days, then taken out to be crushed and the water will be taken out, and all the fibers will be removed. The final step is to spread the giang water thinly and dry on a pre-made frame. This type of paper has a slightly yellow color. Currently, the elderly Mong people in the Western region of Nghe An are still preserving this traditional craft very well. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Brocade weaving is one of the products of the Thai people. Nowadays, life has changed a lot, but the elderly still do everything to preserve, maintain and promote the brocade weaving profession, so that the traditional beauty is not lost in the face of changes in life. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Having spent almost her entire life involved in brocade weaving, Ms. Lo Thi Lan, residing in Mac village, Thach Giam town (Tuong Duong), is always concerned about the fact that many traditional cultural features of her people are gradually fading away, including the traditional brocade weaving craft. Ms. Lan shared, “I love the craft and want to preserve it, so whenever someone wants to teach me the craft, I am always ready. Over the years, I have traveled to many villages inside and outside the commune to teach my children and grandchildren. Up to now, I don’t remember how many students I have taught. What I do is just to pass on the cultural beauty of the Thai people. I have taught my grandchildren since they were young, so now they basically know how to embroider.” In the photo, Ms. Lan is instructing her grandchild on brocade weaving. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
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| Thanks to their love for the craft, their hands and rich imagination, the elderly ethnic minorities have created products that are both eye-catching and very useful for daily life. The elderly have been making a significant contribution to preserving traditional crafts. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
