Kim Son's centuries-old sedge weaving

Kim Sơn, Ninh Bin

Kim Son village, Ninh Binh province is famous for its tradition of growing and weaving sedge. Villagers grow sedge on the alluvial ground between the dike and use it to make handicrafts that are popular in Vietnam as well as exported to other countries.

The land of Kim Son was formerly a desolate coastal land. In 1829, Nguyen Cong Tru, on his way to reclaim wasteland, came here and set this land as Kim Son. He transformed this vast, fertile coastal region into a land of corn, rice, and sedge. In the 1950s, people here expanded the cultivation area to 4,000 hectares, of which 200 hectares specialized in growing sedge.

Kim Son's sedge weaving has existed for more than a century. The craftsmen here are known as skilled artisans, known for their mastery skills and versatility.

Over the years, Kim Son's craftsmen have maintained their creativity and enthusiasm for sedge weaving to create new product designs that satisfy the preferences of contemporary society. The local people consider sedge weaving as the legacy of their ancestors and can make a living from this profession. For every Kim Son person, the love for sedge weaving has been infiltrated in the blood.

The sedge has a lifespan similar to that of a rice plant, also requiring tilling, weeding and fertilizing. The sedge harvest falls in June and November every year. The quality of sedge depends on the salinity of the water. Of all Kim Son's products, sedge mats are the most popular. The sedge-maker must carefully select the sedges of good quality, then split into strands and dry in the sun to increase durability and color. The most difficult part of the process is weaving the interwoven patterns on the mat.

Growing, tending, harvesting sedges and turning them into white, durable fibers for weaving mats is the daily work of the people here. There are many steps in the preparation of sedge. Sometimes workers have to leave their meals unfinished in order to bring sedge into the house if it rains.

Every village in Kim Son district is engaged in sedge weaving. 20 craft villages have been officially recognized with a total of 5,000 businesses, workshops and households participating. Kim Son sedge mats and other handmade products are consumed in 20 countries and territories around the world.

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