'Golden hands' in Doi village

" BREATHING SOUL" INTO RATTAN AND BAMBOO FIBERS

"Living in the middle of the vast mountains and forests, since ancient times, we, the Co Tu people, have chosen flexible rattan and bamboo trees to weave everyday items. Just by looking at the xalet (three-compartment basket) that a man carries on his back, people will know his weaving talent. A beautiful xalet will be loved and respected by many people...", old Poloong Chuoch smiled gently when starting the story about the profession. The old man said that whether the weaving is beautiful or just "pleasing to the eye", the weaving profession has been associated with all Co Tu village men for generations. However, modern life, with the increasing appearance of durable and cheap plastic, aluminum, stainless steel items, has pushed Co Tu weaving into a difficult situation, with few people following.

Old Poloong Chuoch - the man nicknamed "golden hands" in Doi village for reaching the pinnacle of weaving art

As a person passionate about traditional values, old Poloong Chuoc always remembers the scene of young men in the past competing in weaving. That was like a measure of ingenuity. When there were only a handful of people following the profession, he still quietly went deep into the forest to find rattan, bamboo, and reeds... to bring back, split, and dry to weave household items. Occasionally, when someone placed an order, old Poloong Chuoc was enthusiastic and meticulous for many days to make the most sophisticated products. "Depending on the type of item, after harvesting rattan and bamboo, I often soak them in water for many days. This method gives the bamboo a natural, brighter color. To make the item durable, avoid termites, and have a beautiful color, I split the bamboo and rattan, shave them into strips, and then place them on the kitchen counter," he said.

The weaving technique of the Co Tu people is so complicated that a good craftsman must be hard-working and very patient. Elder Poloong Chuoc said that depending on the function of each item, the Co Tu people apply different weaving techniques. For example, the rice basket (zoong) is woven with bamboo strips, the firewood basket is woven with hexagonal bamboo strips... The xalet for men is woven with bamboo strips and many extremely complicated weaving techniques using rattan fibers. This type of basket has 2 small compartments on both sides used to hold rice, rice, fire-making tools... for going to the forest. Depending on the skill, xalet often takes a lot of time, sometimes taking 1-2 months to weave.

Along with xalet, p'reng (a small basket for Co Tu children to go to festivals), or p'rom (a small basket for women to carry gifts, go to festivals), jewelry baskets, brocade baskets... with meticulous weaving techniques with many unique traditional patterns. When completed, old Poloong Chuoch always makes customers satisfied, because they not only receive a useful item but also a product imbued with the artistry of the Co Tu people.

C O T U CULTURAL AMBASSADOR

Mastering advanced weaving techniques to create many difficult and sophisticated products, everyday household items with simple weaving styles, such as: boxes of all kinds, trays, winnowing baskets, fish traps, buffalo ropes, etc., are completed very quickly by old Poloong Chuoch. These are also the products that he often demonstrates when tourists come to the Doi village tourist area (Thuong Lo commune). With more than 10 years of working with the Ka Zan waterfall community tourism cooperative, old Poloong Chuoch has helped countless groups of tourists have interesting experiences with the weaving profession. From here, many handicraft products of the Co Tu people have followed them to many places.

In addition to teaching the weaving profession to the young generation, old Poloong Chuoc also performs and introduces, contributing to promoting the traditional Co Tu profession to tourists.

"This is the strap of the basket. And this is a basket of rice, paddy, salt... so the body of the basket must be tightly woven. If you carry cassava roots, bamboo shoots... then you can weave it more loosely to save effort and make the basket lighter", old Poloong Chuoch pointed and introduced each product to the group of tourists from Da Nang City. Then the old man sat down on the steps, demonstrating for the tourists, telling them stories about the weaving profession of the Co Tu people. For a long time, when coming to Doi village, in addition to exploring nature and experiencing cuisine, tourists also listened to the old man talk to understand more about the culture and life of the indigenous people.

The old man said that when tourists witness the weaving process with their own eyes, they understand more about the values ​​that the weaving artisans put into each product. Therefore, many people do not hesitate to buy many souvenirs. Grasping the tastes, after hours of welcoming guests, old man Poloong Chuoc splits bamboo strips, weaves baskets, decorative baskets... to sell. Known as the "golden hands" in the weaving village, he is also known for his skillful hands in beating drums and gongs. Ms. A Lang Thi Be, Director of Ka Zan Waterfall Community Tourism Cooperative, said old man Poloong Chuoc is a valuable asset of Doi village. Passionate and knowledgeable about many aspects of Co Tu culture, in his role as Head of the Community Tourism Group, he also strives to preserve and promote the traditional values ​​of the people to tourists.

"Every time I see tourists admiring bamboo and rattan products, I feel more motivated to keep the profession and create new models. Tourism is the best way for the Co Tu people's weaving craft to have more opportunities to be known by many people," the old man shared. According to Mr. Le Nhu Suu, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Nam Dong District, in recent times, the locality has implemented many solutions to preserve and promote the value of traditional handicrafts of the Co Tu people associated with community tourism. Among them, old man Poloong Chuoc, despite his old age, is always enthusiastic in teaching the weaving craft to the younger generation. "We really appreciate the way old man Poloong Chuoc teaches the craft and demonstrates weaving in front of tourists... Through his hands, the baskets, baskets, and oi... that are dear and attached to many generations of Co Tu people become simple cultural stories that are easily absorbed in the minds of many people," said Mr. Suu. (to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhat-nghe-tinh-doi-tay-vang-o-ban-doi-185241217225428042.htm