VIDEO : Green sedge in the hot season
On hot summer days, when the bright sunlight pours down across the North Central Delta, it is also the time when farmers in Nga Son, Nong Cong and Quang Xuong districts ( Thanh Hoa ) are busy harvesting sedge - a valuable material for making mats, baskets and many handicrafts from sedge.
Sedge here is harvested twice a year in early May and October (lunar calendar).
Currently, people are in the first harvest of the year. This is also the hottest time of the year. The temperature in the fields can reach 38-40 degrees Celsius, the air is hot, the land is dry and cracked, but the farmers still persevere in their fields.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Hui (Quang Xuong) said: “The sun is very hot, standing outside the sedge field for just a moment makes you sweat like you’ve just taken a shower. But we have to harvest the sedge at the right time so that the sedge fibers are white and beautiful, without black ends, and the quality of the mat will be high.”
Harvesting sedge requires agility and skill. Farmers bend down in the sun, using sickles to cut close to the roots, each bundle of sedge is tied tightly and brought to the shore.
Each bundle of sedge weighs from 10-15kg, and the person carrying the sedge has to walk on narrow, slippery paths because of the mud.
Under the blazing sun, their shoulders were tanned and red, but their eyes still shone with resilience.
After harvesting, the sedge is brought to the drying yard – an important step that determines the quality of the mat. The sedge fibers must be dried thoroughly, evenly colored, and avoid mold or yellowing.
Sedge is divided into 3 types. The type longer than 1.65m is used to weave type 1 mats or for export. The average type is 1.5m to 1.6m long, used to weave personal mats. The dry sedge is used for cooking or roofing.
Splitting sedge takes a lot of time and effort. This step requires two people to work together, coordinate well and be quick because if the sedge is not split in time, it will be very difficult to split when it withers.
Dried sedge is bundled into large bundles, preparing for the weaving and knitting process.
Through the skillful hands of craftsmen, sedge plants become sophisticated and branded handicraft products such as mats, baskets, plates, etc. on the market.
People shared that: Growing and harvesting sedge is not only a livelihood but also a source of pride for many generations. Sedge mats and baskets have long been associated with Vietnamese people's lives, and are images of the homeland that are always imprinted in their memories.
Phuong Do - Hoang Dong
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/coi-xanh-mua-nang-chay-251736.htm
Comment (0)