Ca Hom mat weaving craft in Ham Tan commune recognized as national intangible cultural heritage

Delegates attending the announcement ceremony.

Attending the announcement ceremony were comrades: Nguyen Huu Dat, Head of the Representative Office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Ho Chi Minh City; Kien Quan, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Quynh Thien, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Duong Hoang Sum, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Most Venerable Thach Sok Xane, Head of the Executive Committee of the Buddhist Sangha of Tra Vinh Province, Chairman of the Provincial Association of Patriotic Monks and Monks; leaders of provincial departments, branches and sectors; Tra Cu District Party Committee and People's Committee; Department of Culture, Science and Information of districts, towns and cities; People's Committees of communes and towns in Tra Cu District; retired cadres; monks and people of Ca Hom Mat Weaving Village.

Comrade Thach Boi, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, reported on the process of building a profile of the Ca Hom mat weaving profession.

Reporting on the process of building the profile of Ca Hom mat weaving, comrade Thach Boi, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: mat weaving is one of the long-standing traditional occupations of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh province. Despite many ups and downs, Ca Hom mat weaving village still plays a good role in creating jobs for rural workers and preserving the unique traditional culture of the locality.

Comrade Nguyen Huu Dat, representative of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, presented a certificate from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognizing Ca Hom mat weaving village in Ham Tan commune as a national intangible cultural heritage.

In order to continue to do a good job of preserving and promoting the values ​​of traditional cultural heritage of ethnic groups in the province, in 2023, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism directed the Provincial Museum to research, collect documents, and build a scientific dossier on Ca Hom mat weaving to submit to the People's Committee of Tra Vinh province for consideration and submission to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for inclusion in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is a long-standing traditional craft with unique and characteristic sedge mat products bearing the cultural identity of the Khmer people in Ca Hom hamlet, Cho hamlet and Ben Ba hamlet, Ham Tan commune, Tra Cu district.

On August 9, 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 2321/QD-BVHTTDL, including the traditional craft of making Ca Hom mats of the Khmer people in Ham Tan commune, Tra Cu district, in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is the first traditional craft of Tra Vinh to be recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Comrade Duong Hoang Sum spoke at the announcement ceremony.

Up to now, Tra Vinh has 08 national intangible cultural heritages including: Cham Rieng Cha Pay art of the Khmer people; Ok Om Bok festival of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh; "Southern amateur music" art; My Long sea worship festival, My Long town, Cau Ngang district; Robam art of the Khmer people in Tra Vinh province; Vu Lan Thang Hoi festival of Cau Ke district and Dom Long Neak Ta festival of the Khmer people; Ca Hom mat weaving craft of the Khmer people in Ham Tan commune.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Quynh Thien requested provincial departments and branches, together with localities, to strengthen propaganda andeducation work to change awareness among cadres, party members, organizations and the masses about the meaning and importance of cultural heritage values ​​in general, including Ca Hom mat weaving.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Quynh Thien spoke at the ceremony.

The media agencies and the provincial Literature and Arts Association have created many works to promote the cultural heritage and craft villages of the province so that many people can know about them. People have made efforts to promote the value of the cultural heritage of Ca Hom mats with the spirit of innovation and creativity, weaving mat products that suit the tastes and needs of the market, helping to increase the economic value of Ca Hom mats, helping to preserve and promote the heritage.

The Department of Industry and Trade, the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion (Department of Finance) promote Ca Hom mat products, linking the program to develop Ca Hom mat weaving village with the province's tourism development programs. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism continues to collect documents on mat weaving villages and other craft villages, proposing the title of Meritorious Artisan, People's Artisan for skilled workers to spread the values ​​of heritage in the community...

Receiving the opinion of the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Duong Hoang Sum, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism affirmed that in the coming time, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to coordinate with the locality to effectively preserve and promote the cultural values ​​of Ca Hom mat weaving. At the same time, advise the provincial leaders to issue policies to support the transmission of the profession and support artisans to maintain the mat weaving profession, helping to preserve the traditional cultural identity and develop tourism in the coming time.

Four individuals with many contributions to the Ca Hom mat making profession were awarded at the ceremony.

On this occasion, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded certificates of merit to 04 individuals who have made many contributions to the Ca Hom mat making profession of the Khmer people in Ham Tan commune, Tra Cu district.

News and photos: NGOC XOAN

Source: https://www.baotravinh.vn/trong-tinh/nghe-det-chieu-ca-hom-xa-ham-tan-duoc-cong-nhan-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-45020.html