A century of Định Yên mat weaving village

Nestled beside the tranquil Hau River lies a village renowned for its long-standing mat weaving tradition: Dinh Yen mat weaving village. Located in Dinh Yen commune, Lap Vo district, Dong Thap province, Dinh Yen mat weaving village originated from the coastal plains of Northern Vietnam, but its traditional mat weaving craft was brought here by migrants who came to settle and establish their livelihoods.

Having endured for over 100 years, passed down through generations, mat weaving has become a traditional craft in Dinh Yen village. In 2013, Dinh Yen mat weaving village was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

To reach Dinh Yen mat-making village from Sa Dec city, tourists travel along National Highway 80 for about 30 km to Lap Vo town, heading towards the Hau River. There you will find bundles of sedge dyed in various colors such as green, red, yellow, and purple drying along the roadside.

Upon arriving here, visitors will feel the vibrant atmosphere created by the distinctive sounds of rudimentary wooden looms, automatic weaving machines, and the sounds of people passionately engaged in the traditional work passed down from their ancestors for generations.

Characterized by its numerous sandbanks and alluvial plains along the Hau River, the land here is ideal for cultivating sedge and rush plants – the two main ingredients for making Định Yên Đồng Tháp mats. Through the skillful hands of the people of Định Yên, these simple rush fibers are transformed into vibrant, smooth mats, adding beauty to every home.

The sedge plants selected for weaving must be very old, with even fibers that are not too thick and have a length suitable for the size of the mat to be woven. The villagers will dry these sedge fibers in the sun for about 30 minutes to an hour, then dye them in boiling water with various colors such as green, yellow, and red.

To ensure accurate and long-lasting color, people boil the dyes and then dip small bunches of fruit into the pot, adjusting the number of dips to achieve the desired shade. For darker colors, they usually need to dip three or more times.

To weave a beautiful, high-quality mat, besides selecting the reeds and dyeing them, the local people must perform many other steps such as: spinning the threads, designing patterns, weaving, drying the raw product, bending the edges, sewing the borders... All these steps require the weavers to be meticulous, skillful, and possess some "family secrets" to create exquisite, durable, and beautiful mats.

Among these processes, mat weaving is the most technically demanding. Weaving mats requires two people working together: one to operate the shuttle and thread the reeds, while the other pulls the loom. During the weaving process, the weaver must skillfully combine colors and weave patterns and motifs onto the mat while maintaining overall harmony and balance.

With such a demanding job, a skilled hand-weaver can only produce 3 to 4 mats a day. Therefore, nowadays, the people of Dinh Yen have begun applying machinery and advanced technology to mat weaving. The number of mats produced each day is increasing, with beautiful, durable, and sharp designs; however, hand-woven products remain significantly more refined and smoother.

Dinh Yen mats come in a variety of sizes and types, with rich designs and high quality, such as: square cotton mats with checkerboard patterns, wedding room cotton mats, Tra Nien mats, white mats, patterned mats, snail shell mats, antique mats, etc.

Upon arriving at Dinh Yen mat-making village in Dong Thap, visitors will be amazed by the vibrant colors of the sedge fibers scattered from inside the houses to the streets outside. Strolling along the simple, rustic village roads, it's easy to spot the villagers chatting and laughing heartily, their hands stained with green and red dyes, skillfully weaving sedge fibers with nimble speed.

Here, people of all ages are familiar with and deeply involved in mat weaving. Men are responsible for tasks such as selecting raw materials, cutting reeds and sedges, drying them, and stripping the fibers, while women handle dyeing and weaving the mats.

In the warm and intimate atmosphere of this peaceful countryside, visitors will witness firsthand how the local people handcraft mats. Each step, each detail, is meticulously and diligently done by the artisans, imbued with passion and affection to create beautiful, perfect mats for life.

Despite the ups and downs and hardships, over a century of perseverance, mat weaving has become an indispensable part of the lives of the people of Dinh Yen. For generations, the people here have wholeheartedly preserved, protected, and promoted mat weaving as an enduring traditional identity of the nation.

Visit Dinh Yen mat-making village once to admire the vibrant colors and have the opportunity to learn more about the origins of these simple, rustic mats that have been closely associated with Vietnamese life from ancient times to the present day.

My Tong