"Just give us rattan, bamboo, and we can weave.. the entire world," the artisans here joke, but also telling the truth about their skillful hands.
Ninh So is a small village renowned for producing bamboo and rattan items of high artistic quality in a bewildering array of types and designs, including home furnishings and decorations items.
Located along the Red River, Ninh So is one of the oldest villages of rattan and bamboo weaving. The village is 15km southwest of Hanoi city center, and it is accessible by car in approximately an hour from Hoan Kiem Lake.
.png)
Bamboo and rattan weaving has been around since the 17th century. The local elders said that in the past, it was yet to become a profession, back then, people did not have enough land to farm and had a very hard life. Since the village was located near the Red River, they tried to make tools like creels and baskets to catch fishes, crabs and snails. The bamboo weaving profession emerged out of this necessity for a means of support, at first they make it as a tool for themselves and then sold to people living nearby. Gradually, the demand grew and they expand it by making household and fashion items such as such as hats, hand bags, plates, trays, sieves, chairs, tables, lights among others.
In the past, every household in the village was involved in the craft, everyone, young or old, man or woman, weaves rattan and bamboo. It has been in their blood for generations. Now that life has advanced and modernized and there are more career opportunities, not many young people decide to stay in the village and continue to weave rattan. Even so, the village still stands and managed to present their products at local and international fairs and exhibitions
There are many talented artisans in the village, but unlike other craft villages like Phu Vinh, Bat Trang, Van Phuc, etc, the tourism-related activities are not supported or marketed, making it hard for tourists to find them. This is due to a lack of resources, as well as a lack of local government support for these activities. Without proper marketing, artisans find it difficult to reach potential customers and make a living from their craft. The only way people here can maintain the bamboo and rattan craft is to receive orders from wholesalers, weave the products, and ship them. Unless something is done to promote these artisans and their works, they will continue to remain hidden and unknown to tourists
