QUANG NAM – Mr. Le Thi Ke, 83 years old, on Cu Lao Cham island painstakingly woven a hammock from sycamore bark in two months, selling it for 12-15 million VND.
The end of November is the low tourist season on Cu Lao Cham island, Tan Hiep commune, Hoi An city, so tourists are sparse. Mrs. Le Thi Ke, carrying a bundle of ivory-white corn fibers and a knife, sat weaving a hammock on the porch. His hands quickly twisted each rope tightly together, forming consecutive shuttle shapes.
With more than 50 years of experience, he measures the distance of the cells by hand but is as smooth as machine weaving. After nearly a month, the completed hammock was more than one meter long, with no ties or connections, and the rope was not frayed but wrapped securely. This is a different feature of sycamore hammocks compared to other types.
Mr. Ke is from mainland Hoi An. In 1962, he got married on the frontier island of Cu Lao Cham, about 15 km from shore. She knew the craft of weaving corn hammocks through the teachings of her mother-in-law.
Only those who follow the profession understand the elaborate process of making a hammock. “If you want to knit a beautiful hammock, you can’t do it quickly. This profession is more suitable for older people because of the strict technical requirements in knitting stitches and seams, requiring perseverance and meticulousness,” he shared.
Having worked for 10 years on Cu Lao Cham island, Ms. Huynh Thi Ut, 56 years old, said that there are two types of corn hammocks, including 4 strands and 6 strands (the distance between the two zones is 4-6 strands). The knitter must both tighten and rub so that the strings tighten together smoothly, without lumps or rough joints. When knitting, the worker keeps the distance so that the squares are even, each knot is tight and firm so as not to sag.
Ms. Ut said that hammocks are made by hand, so you have to “see for yourself, learn for yourself and depend on each person’s ingenuity, but you can’t just hand-pick every seam and stitch.”
On the island, there are many sycamore trees growing on rocky mountains. From April to July is the flower blooming season. People go to the forest to find trees and branches of sycamore as big as their wrists, then cut off the leaves and get a straight stem.
The tree trunk is crushed, peeled, and soaked in spring water. Soak it for half a month in summer, more than 20 days in winter, then pick it up and wash it. The craftsman chooses the opaque white inner shell, called manch dong. The field is stripped into small fibers and dried until white to make hammocks.
Mr. Ke explained that cutting down sycamore trees does not harm the forest. In summer, the tree drops its leaves, flowers, then bears fruit. When the fruit falls, saplings grow everywhere, and after about 3 years, people cut them down for their bark. “From the cut tree stump, 3-4 new shoots will grow, which will grow into seedlings when the rainy season comes,” he said.
To complete the 2.6 m long hammock, not including the time to prepare materials, it takes two months. The hammock can be used for 20 years. When dirty, wash and dry it.
In the past, woven corn hammocks were often sold to local people. Since the island’s tourism development, many domestic and foreign tourists have bought hammocks for 10-15 million VND each. “Each hammock does not bring high income compared to the effort put in. But once you do the job, you can’t quit. Every day you don’t knit, you miss it and can’t stand still,” said Ms. Huynh Thi Ut.
The people who weave corn hammocks do not know when this profession existed, they only know that it has been passed down through many generations. Many people have switched to other jobs for higher income when Cu Lao Cham island welcomed many tourists. Currently, there are only five old people left on the island who make hammocks and teach the craft to a few young people.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Duc, Vice Chairman of Tan Hiep commune, said that the hammock making profession is gradually disappearing, so the government has opened classes to teach the younger generation, while encouraging product diversity and creating space for tourists to experience. traditional profession when coming to the island.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)