The sedge fields in Binh Dinh stretch endlessly like a giant green silk sheet, making a strong impression on many tourists.
More than 800 households in Hoai Chau Bac ward, Hoai Nhon town (Binh Dinh) have been involved in the profession of growing and making sedge mats for generations, which dates back hundreds of years.
Sedge is like rice, people will plant and harvest two crops per year, if favorable, three crops. Sedge is considered "ripe" when the stalks fall down at the same time, then it is time to harvest.
The "ripe" sedge season is also the time when the summer heat from April to June in the Central region is like a frying pan. Therefore, from early morning, when the dawn has just risen, the first gentle rays of the day shine down into the space, the diligent farmers have been busy going to the fields to harvest sedge.
There are two ways to harvest sedge: using machines and by hand. Using machines is like using a normal lawn mower, while by hand, people who are familiar with and experienced use long spears and large, sharp sickles to cut sedge. Fresh sedge plants are tied into bundles, standing in the middle of the field, looking like warriors.
Sedge is not harvested all at once like rice, but many times, cutting to get the main stem inside.
In the early morning mist, people carry loads on their shoulders in the middle of vast sedge fields, creating a beautiful picture of the countryside like a dream.
The sedge mat weaving industry in Hoai Nhon Binh Dinh has the largest production scale in the Central region.
Amidst the vast green space, the sweaty shirts of farmers can be seen looming, painting a beautiful picture of labor.
The manual sedge splitting machine has been with the people here for generations. Right behind the 2 wooden shafts in the front (top and bottom) is a 6cm high cutting blade consisting of many blades arranged side by side along the length between the 2 wooden shafts. Because it is still done by hand, to operate the machine, 2 people are needed (the machine is operated in the sedge field), 1 person sits in front to put the sedge in to split, 1 person sits behind the conveyor belt to pull the sedge out.
After harvesting, sedge should be quickly brought home or to the factory. If left for too long, the sedge will no longer be fresh and crispy but will become tough, making it difficult for people to split it into fibers to make mats.
There are households that, after harvesting sedge, set up tents, split the sedge and dry it right in the field. Weather The hot weather of the Central region is most suitable for drying sedge. If the sedge gets wet with rain, the sedge fiber will lose its value and appearance, not producing the most durable sedge fiber.
Sedge growers in Hoai Nhon have had a difficult journey to turn the land contaminated with acid sulfate soil into a vast sedge field with a distinctive brand. Hoai Nhon town has famous mat growing and making villages such as Chuong Hoa village, Gia An mat village, Quy Thuan mat, Gia An Dong mat, etc.
To make a mat, people have to go through many "winds, rains, sun and dew": from harvesting sedge in the fields, to drying the sedge fibers, then "fashioning" them with the dyeing process, then drying them again... before they can be brought back to weave the mat.
During the sedge mat season, wherever you go in Hoai Chau Bac ward, you can see villagers drying sedge fibers in all colors. The sedge fibers are mainly dyed in colors such as red, yellow, green, and purple.
There are two types of sedge mats in Hoai Nhon: plain mats and patterned mats. Plain mats are woven from simple, rustic white sedge. Patterned mats are woven from white sedge fibers interspersed with dyed sedge fibers to create a mat with unique patterns, even according to the buyer's design. The craft village of making sedge mats in Hoai Nhon has been recognized as a traditional craft village by the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province.
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