Suoi Cat basket
weaving village (Cam Hiep Nam commune, Cam Lam district) has been recognized as
one of trade villages of the province by Khanh Hoa provincial People’s
Committee.
Visiting Suoi Cat hamlet
these days, we easily catch the image of villagers weaving baskets. Asking
about the origin of the profession, we are introduced to Mr. Tran Dang Sung (70
years old), who is considered as a person to bring this profession to the
village. When he was 30 years old, Mr. Sung from Quang Tri brought the basket
weaving profession for his living. When he was 40 year olds, once a day a
merchant brought a bamboo basket sample and ordered him to make the basket for
holding fish. At first he made by himself, then because of
the large number, he taught for villagers to work together. Gradually this
profession was taught for many people and became an extra job each time after
harvest. The profession met many difficulties when people do not have the
capital because there are two seasons to be much in demand all year which were
in January and July lunar calendar. Before basket weaving profession just was
part time job after harvest, now it becomes the main income for many rural
households in Suoi Cat. At present not only in the cam Hiep Nam but also in communes
of Cam Thanh Bac, Cam An Nam ... of Cam Lam district there are many households
weaving bamboo baskets.
Worker is skillful to weave bamboo basket.
Raw materials for
making baskets are bamboo tree, “giang” tree, rattan and stone bamboo; after
buying, the materials have been split and sharpen to strings. Before splitting bamboo
by handmade, nowadays people use machines to split for more comfortable.
According to the villagers, to make a finished bamboo basket must take many
stages and each one makes a phase such as making the bottom of basket, weaving
basket bins, making diagonal, border, making straps and edge of rim. ...
Depending on every stage and diameter of basket, weavers will be paid from 1,000
VND to 5,000 VND/item. Currently, bamboo basket at Suoi Cat has diameter of
39-55 cm, depending on the requirements of customers’ orders; the common basket
has a diameter of 39-40 cm.
Bamboo baskets in Suoi Cat Hamlet, Cam Hiep
Nam Commune, Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa province.
Basket weaving profession
is all year round, so besides people who specialize in weaving basket, the young
and old people in the village can earn extra money in their free time. Visiting Hoa Thuy facility, we caught the
image of a 79-year-old woman sitting to weave bamboo basket. She said: "It
is not too hard, every day I weave 50 bottoms of basket, earning 50,000 VND, I
make when I am healthy, if I feel tired, I will stop”. Each people make a phase
so the profession is suitable job for the elderly, people who loss working
capacity, disability ... contribute to creating jobs for local people.
At fishing seasons, bamboo basket is much in
demand and its price increases, many families have high income. Villagers said the
output is stable because only sea is out of fishes, this profession has to stop.
However, because raw material have been bought completely, high cost, goods in
stock so long so people need to be supported
capital to produce and maintain the profession.