Located about 15km from Nam Dinh city, Giap Nhat village (Nam Giang town, Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province) is the only turban-making village in the North. Currently, there are more than 450 households making turbans. Through the ups and downs of history, people still work hard with needles and cloth to preserve the traditional craft.
Coming to Giap Nhat in the last month of the year, going deep into each small alley, you will see the Tet atmosphere through the image of workers meticulously making each needle and loop.
According to craftsmen in Giap Nhat village, there are three types of turbans: turbans for men, turbans for women, and turbans that can be worn by both men and women. Mr. Doan Van Thuy (owner of a turban making facility in Giap Nhat village) said that traditional turbans are usually made of silk with three basic colors: yellow, red, and black. The number of folds depends on the age and gender of the user and the style of the turban.
To create a turban, the craftsman must go through stages such as: cutting foam, sewing fabric, wrapping, wrapping the outer rim, drawing patterns... Each stage requires meticulousness and high concentration, especially the wrapping and folding stage, the craftsman needs to fold tightly so that the folds do not shift.
Turbans are sold all year round, but the time before Tet, before the spring festivals, is always considered the main season by craftsmen.
"To have enough output to serve the peak season, my family's facility currently has 20 workers making towels. Every year, my family sells about 250,000 towels, mainly in the first and second lunar months. The good thing about this job is that it takes advantage of free time during the day, from the elderly to children can participate in making it," said Mr. Thuy.
Similarly, at the turban making facility of Mr. Nguyen Van Muon (in Giap Nhat village), his family has been making traditional turbans for three generations.
Mr. Muon said that on average, his facility produces about 200 turbans of various types per day, priced at about 20,000 - 100,000 VND/piece, depending on the type and size. Fashionable turbans cost up to 300,000 VND/piece, and this item is usually made to order. Compared to previous years, the market for turbans this year has decreased by about 30%.
Mr. Cao Xuan Nghi - Chairman of Nam Giang Town People's Committee said that turban making is a traditional profession of the locality, there was a period of time when the profession was interrupted. However, at present, this is a profession that brings stable income to the people, especially during the off-season when they can still earn income.
