From a 7-8 year old boy knitting each bow of a boat after each school day to becoming an outstanding artisan, Mr. Nguyen Van Giot (80 years old, Hung Hoc fishing village, Quang Ninh) still maintains the fire of his craft.
Next to the boat that is gradually taking shape to be brought to Ha Long on April 30th - May 1st, Mr. Giot smiled and said that the fishing gear village has a history of more than 400 years. Many people in the village choose to make fishing gear such as traps, hammers, etc., while he chooses the traditional craft of weaving bamboo boats to start a business and make a living.
In Mr. Giot's memory, from his grandfather's generation, he had been working as a bamboo boat weaver, then "from father to son" to his children and grandchildren also knew the craft.
Mr. Giot recounted that when he joined the army, the place where he was stationed was related to ships and boats to serve work and combat. He called it the word "fate" with the profession. Leaving the army, he returned to his locality, ready for the traditional profession, Mr. Giot continued his career to this day.
More than 40 years ago was the most brilliant period of the bamboo boat weaving craft. The whole village has about 60 households doing this craft. Whether it's locals or pilgrims coming to buy boats, going from the beginning of the village to the end of the village at any time, you can hear the sound of hammers, chisels, bamboo splitting... Boats drying in long rows along both sides of the road.
Many days we worked until 11-12 pm. In the morning, when we opened our eyes and quickly ate a bowl of rice and cassava, we sat down in our workplace, and at noon we only rested a little and worked until late afternoon. Some people were greedy for work, waking up abruptly at 2-3 am. That cycle continued day after day, year after year," Mr. Giot recalled.
Customers stretch from Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Ninh Binh to Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, in Quang Ninh province, customers from Mong Cai to Dong Trieu also come to buy. At times, all 16 people came to stay at his house overnight to order and buy boats. His family had to run to the market to buy rice to entertain guests.
But in the past 20 years, the bamboo boat weaving profession has gradually faded away, little by little every year. Recalling the prosperous period and facing the deserted reality of the craft village that was only "famous for a time", Mr. Giot feels sad.
According to artisan Nguyen Van Giot's sharing, in the past, there were many shrimp and fish, people used bamboo boats to fish countless times, but now shrimp and fish are increasingly few, the area for fishing is also narrowing, to reach out to sea, large tonnage ships are needed and the birth of composite plastic boats... bamboo boats produced have no buyers, the craft village is therefore increasingly desolate, the sound of chiseling and splitting bamboo is gradually sparse.
Instead of clinging to the profession, people in the village go to other professions to earn a living, only a few households maintain the traditional profession, mainly doing it according to orders.
Having gone through ups and downs that made the craft village fade away, but for a person who has been attached to bamboo boats his whole life, the fire of craftsmanship in Mr. Giot has never gone out.
In early 2016, he was recognized as Meritorious Artisan for his contributions and dedication to preserving, conserving, and promoting the value of the traditional bamboo boat weaving craft.
He said that he has "retired" for 5-7 years now, but when his children and grandchildren have orders, he still "rolls up his sleeves to guide them". Although his hands are not as quick and his eyes are not as sharp as before, he still sits for hours to help his children and grandchildren, monitoring the stages until he gets the most beautiful and quality product.
That artisan still teaches the craft to generations of children and grandchildren, to those who want to learn. Even, there are groups of tourists from England, China, India, Russia... and even students from Hanoi visiting the craft village, he also personally shows them how to knit boats, introducing them to the unique features of the craft village that is over 400 years old.
Mr. Giot only hopes that the traditional craft will not be lost, still being a stopover for those who want to stick with it, want to make a living.
