The handicraft village, commonly known as Cat Dang lacquer village (in Yen Tien commune, Y Yen district, Nam Dinh province), has a history of more than 600 years. Up to now, Cat Dang craft village still maintains, exists and develops to neighboring villages in the commune.
According to the locals, this craft village has many products such as trays, plates, trays, vases, mirrors, pedestals, souvenirs, decorations, etc. To make these handicraft products, the craftsman must be extremely skillful, meticulous and persistent. The products are made by hand.
Having been involved in the traditional craft since childhood, Ms. Pham Thi Tan (70 years old, in Yen Tien commune, Y Yen district) said: "Previously, lacquer was made on wood, but over time, our people have shown and created a core from bamboo. After soaking the bamboo in water for many months, we take it out to dry and then process it. Each piece of bamboo will be split into small strips and the unused core and stems will be removed. After that, we use a rolling machine to soften the bamboo strips to arrange them into circles in order of size, beat them according to the available mold to create a rough product, and continue to dry them in the sun."
Nowadays, to facilitate the output of products, households working in Yen Tien commune will be responsible for the rough stage, then transfer to large facilities in the area to complete the lacquer part.
"Previously, to make a complete lacquer product, we did it at home, so it took a lot of time. Gradually, the family linked up with large production facilities in the commune to follow the steps. At the facilities, the final steps to create a finished product will be done, in which the most meticulous step is the painting step. Each finished bamboo product has a different price, depending on the size and design," said Ms. Dinh Thi Pha (61 years old, in Yen Tien commune, Y Yen district).
Nowadays, the trend of finding items made from raw materials such as bamboo and rattan is being favored by the market for interior decoration. These products have the advantages of being light, cheap, durable and convenient for transportation. With new technology, Cat Dang artisans create a variety of products, meeting the market demand not only domestically but also for export abroad.
