This northern Vietnamese village has made bamboo fishing traps for two centuries
Wednesday, April 05, 2023, 22:11 GMT+7
Residents of a village in Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam have retained their traditional craft of making đó and rọ, two types of bamboo fishing traps, for the past two centuries.
The Thu Sy craft village is located in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, and 7km from Hung Yen City, which is the provincial capital.
Around 500 locals, who are mainly in their old age and live in Tat Vien and Noi Lang Hamlets, are still practicing the craft.
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| Villagers are making bamboo fishing traps in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
Đó and rọ are basket traps made of bamboo and used by ancient Vietnamese people to catch shrimp and fish.
Nowadays, they are mainly used for decorations and furniture.
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| A courtyard full of bamboo fishing traps in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
Pham Thi Lap, 91, began the job when she was eight.
Life was not easy then, so she followed her family's profession and made ends meet.
In the past, the craft had been the main source of income for people in Thu Sy Commune in their leisure time after farming seasons.
Lap has five children but only one daughter and a daughter-in-law of hers have pursued the craft.
Young villagers now do not favor the craft because of its low income.
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| Pham Thi Lap, 91, has been doing the craft for over 80 years in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| Luong Son Bac, 83, has over 70 years of experience in making bamboo fishing traps in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. He now retains the job as his hobby in old age and for tourists to see. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
A plain white basket fetches around VND20,000-25,000 while a smoked puce basket could be sold at VND30,000-40,000. (US$1 = VND23,467)
A skillful craftsman can make about ten baskets a day.
According to senior villagers, in order to create a basket that is standard, durable, and beautiful, the most important step is to choose mature bamboo.
Besides, the weaving technique is quite a feat, requiring ingenuity, patience, and coordination of many stages.
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| Villagers are seen weaving bamboo strings into 'đó' in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
Every year, this craft village supplies more than 600,000 products to provinces such as Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Bac Ninh, and Bac Giang, while exporting them to a number of countries including the U.S., China, Romania, and Thailand.
The village has become a rare traditional craft village which attracts tourists and photographers who come to take impressive photos.
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| Luong Son Bac, 83, shreds bamboo into strings before weaving them into 'đó' and 'rọ' in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| Luong Son Bac, 83, prepares bamboo strings to make 'đó' in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| Luong Son Bac checks his bamboo fishing traps under the sun in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| The traps are sun dried and smoked after being finished in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| An elderly woman is seen making bamboo fishing traps in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| An elderly woman is seen making bamboo fishing traps in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| The traps are sun dried and smoked after being finished in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| A courtyard full of bamboo fishing traps in Thu Sy craft village in Thu Sy Commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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| The 'đó' (bamboo fishing traps) making village in Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam is more than 200 years old. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre News |
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