Continuing the generation to keep the craft village fire
With an age of more than 2 centuries, the Thuan Hung rice paper making profession has gone through ups and downs, with many generations continuing to do and keep the profession. Among them, there is Ms. Nguyen Thi Bu (71 years old, Thuan Hung ward, Can Tho city) - who has spent nearly 40 years of her life just performing regular rotations on the ceiling.
Mrs. Bu confided that this profession is like breathing, like blood flowing in her since her father passed it on to her. For Ms. Bu, each cake is a work of art, fragile but contains the heart of the craftsman. Its very intense, but fun. From 1 - 2 am, we have to fight to sleep in the furnace. This job is to be friends with the darkness, to be on time when the sun is shining so that the cakes can be dried immediately to get the sun, Ms. Bu shared.
According to Ms. Bu, the technique of making handmade cakes in Thuan Hung is a process that requires meticulousness and patience. The rice must be delicious, soaked cleanly, pureed, then passed through many stages of flourizing. The secret lies in how to make the dough and season so that when the cake is taken out of the oven, it has the characteristic aroma of the rice and a moderate rich flavor. In particular, the craft of hand-crafting cakes depends entirely on the "king of heaven". When the sun is strong, the cakes dry quickly, but when the sun is weak, they have to be dried for longer.
Despite the hardship, that fragile rice paper has been the "rice pot" that has supported Mrs. Bu's family for decades. If the sun is good and the cake is clear, she can earn from 400,000 - 500,000 VND/day.
"My family has no fields or gardens, only sticking to this bakery to raise our children to study, each of them is stable. To be honest, making 5 hectares of rice fields is not necessarily the same as this job. With no more strength in the past, I had to pass it on to my children and grandchildren, or hire someone to teach me so that this profession would not be lost," Ms. Bu confided.
Technology wind flow
Not far from Mrs. Bu's bakery, the production rhythm at Ms. Van Thi Tho's household (Thuan Hung ward) has another sound - the sound of modern transformation.
Having been attached to the profession for nearly 15 years since returning as a daughter-in-law, Ms. Tho has witnessed the spectacular changes of the craft village when machinery is gradually being applied to production, contributing to keeping the fire burning for a national intangible cultural heritage.
Previously, Ms. Tho's family also made by hand, but when market demand skyrocketed, their human resources could no longer meet large orders spread across the Western provinces. Therefore, when receiving loans from the locality, Ms. Tho's family boldly invested in a cake drying machine and a drying tarpaulin. With machinery, faster production speed, increased output, it saves effort.
However, the most valuable thing is that even though she has switched to making machines, Ms. Tho still retains the "soul" of Thuan Hung rice paper. The secret lies in the stage of making home-grown flour and seasoning with pure spices. The cake is made by machine when taken out of the oven to ensure fatness, aroma, and dining, meeting the requirements of even demanding diners.
The combination of machinery and working experience has created a real "revolution" in productivity. If the couple works together and the sun is good, they can earn from 600,000 - 700,000 VND per day. At the peak of the Tet crop, when demand increases, an income of 1 million VND per day is completely within reach.
The appearance of machinery does not lose inheritance. Ms. Tho still teaches her children how to make cakes every day, so that they understand that no matter how modern the technology is, the core value still lies in their love for the traditional profession. "If I can do it, I will teach my children slowly. Even when they go to school, it helps them know how to cherish the rice grains and appreciate their father's profession," Ms. Tho shared.
In particular, since the profession of making Thai Hung rice paper was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Ms. Tho clearly felt that purchasing power has increased day by day. That title is not only an affirmation of the value of the traditional craft but also helps the rice paper have a more solid position in the market.
Heritage Steps
The People's Committee of Thuan Hung Ward said that Thuan Hung rice paper village currently has about 57 households producing regularly, creating jobs for hundreds of local workers. Before the Thuan Hung rice paper making profession was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023, the village still maintained production, but encountered many fluctuations because there was no certain orientation.
For example, the consumption market is narrowing due to competition with industrial products; The scale of production is small, disjointed, there is no collective brand and especially young people tend to leave their hometowns, leading to a lack of successor workers. However, the Heritage milestone has marked an important turning point, bringing the craft village to the stage of being preserved and developed in an oriented way.
Mr. Bui Cuu Long - Vice Chairman of Thuan Hung Ward People's Committee - has high expectations for the future of the craft village: "This title has aroused pride and awareness of the profession in every citizen in Thuan Hung. At the same time, it helps craft villages have more resources from support programs, opening up a direction for sustainable development".
With that advantage, local authorities have paid more attention and quickly implemented policies to support capital and improve traffic infrastructure to facilitate drying and transportation. In addition, the locality also supports people to register the collective trademark "Thuan Hung Banh Trang - Can Tho"; connect with businesses and supermarkets so that craft village products reach the market.
Not only stopping at production, the People's Committee of Thuan Hung Ward also determined that the orientation for the next 5 to 10 years of Thuan Hung rice paper village is to combine preserving traditional quintessence with developing the economy, tourism and modern technology, towards the model of "heritage craft village - green tourism - strong brand" of Can Tho City.
To do that, the "three-house" (state - people - enterprise) connection is being tightened. People will continue to keep the passion for the profession, apply technology to improve quality. The enterprise plays a bridging role, accompanying the craft village in developing the experiential tourism model, organizing a tour "A day as a rice paper artist", combining local cuisine and culture.
From the perspective of local government, Mr. Long affirmed that the Ward People's Committee will orient and create the most favorable environment for craft villages to develop sustainably, such as completing the planning for craft villages associated with tourism, infrastructure investment, electricity - water systems, drying areas and displaying products; Coordinate with departments and branches to build programs to preserve living heritage, train young people, honor artisans, promote brands; Bring the craft of making rice paper into local cultural education, helping the younger generation to be more proud and inherit the homeland's traditions.
If well oriented, Thuan Hung rice paper village will not only be the pride of Can Tho people, but also be expected to be an attractive cultural - tourism destination in the Mekong Delta, Mr. Long emphasized.
