Faced with the risk of losing the traditional weaving craft of the K'ho ethnic group in La Da commune, teaching classes were opened in 2024 as a way to preserve and promote the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities...
Passing on the profession
In recent days, the Cultural House of La Da commune, Ham Thuan Bac district, has become crowded with voices, laughter, the sound of splitting bamboo, whittling rattan... The members of the class are all young people who are tutored by older artisans, taught from theory to practical weaving skills. The main learning method is to hold hands and guide them to create products from simple to difficult. Looking at the children's hands, initially quite awkward, whittling the bamboo strips unevenly and often breaking, not knowing how to thread the rattan, bend corners... but still patiently sitting for hours to learn, Ms. Le Thi Kim Lien - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of La Da commune, felt happy in her heart, because from now on, the traditional profession of their ancestors will certainly be passed on.
The economic life of the K'ho people in La Da commune is mainly associated with farming, raising livestock, and fishing in rivers and streams, so many agricultural tools are needed for daily life and production. Therefore, the weaving profession has existed for a long time and has been passed down from generation to generation. From common materials such as bamboo, rattan, grass, rattan, etc., the skillful hands of the K'ho people have created beautiful daily necessities such as winnowing baskets, baskets, baskets, baskets, purses, etc.
Although this is a sideline job, it still attracts all ages of family workers to participate during the off-season. To make a product, artisans must go through many stages, requiring perseverance and meticulousness. Starting from going into the forest to select and get the "right age" materials to have flexibility, then soaking in water, drying, splitting and smoothing the bamboo fibers evenly before weaving each part of the product. Each product must be made continuously for 5-7 days, in which the closed, thick basket used to perform in festivals and hold rice, corn, and seeds requires the most technical and time requirements.
Possessing excellent weaving skills with diverse and sophisticated products, the weaving craft of the K'ho people cannot avoid the development trend of the market. Household items of the K'ho people in La Da commune have all switched to plastic products, because they are cheap, have diverse designs, are beautiful and are sold everywhere from markets to stores...
Ms. Le Thi Kim Lien shared: The whole commune currently has 4,321 people but only about 15% of the population knows about the weaving profession, mainly the elderly, the rest, especially the younger generation, are no longer interested in learning the profession. However, the locality also determined that the traditional profession cannot be lost, while La Da commune is located on the tourist route to Da Mi and adjacent to the relic site of the Provincial Party Committee Base during the resistance war against the US, opening up the opportunity to become a community tourism destination visited by many tourists.
Keep the job
Faced with the risk of losing traditional crafts of ethnic minorities, including the weaving craft of the K'ho people, in addition to propaganda, mobilization, and calling on artisans to preserve the craft by teaching it to their children, opening classes is the most effective way to do so. In particular, from the Project "Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development" under the National Target Program on Socio-economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021 - 2030, the Provincial Museum has coordinated with the People's Committee of La Da commune to organize teaching right in the locality.
The class has only 2 artisans, including Mr. Bo Rong Xen, who is 71 years old this year. Although he has to temporarily stop farming, he is very happy that his children and grandchildren in the commune are interested in learning the craft. Occasionally, he encourages the students to be patient and diligent. Especially for many female students, the process of whittling bamboo and rattan is often uneven, easily broken. Careful attention in the process of weaving baskets, trays, and fishing nets, when to press hard and when to loosen, will produce beautiful products.
Holding his own product, Xim Hoang Tien smiled: During my school days, I was able to make simple products from weaving. It is known that many restaurants and eateries have returned to using winnowing baskets to store food, and baskets for decoration. If there is a connection, this is a hope for us to do the job, have the opportunity to sell and earn more income.
Mr. Doan Van Thuan - Director of the Provincial Museum said: Weaving is not only a traditional craft of the K'ho ethnic group, but also a unique and distinct cultural feature that needs to be restored and preserved. Once people's awareness changes, developing it into a craft village will contribute to promoting and introducing the image of nature, people, potential and products of the ethnic group to serve the socio-economic development of the locality.
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