About one month ago, I had opportunity to visit Cat Dang where is known for spun bamboo products. It is about 80 km far from Hanoi center to Cat Dang trade village. Over come small roads with bamboo line in both side, I saw Vietnamese artisans were working very hard. When I see process of making spun bamboo bowl, I realize that making a bamboo bowl is not easy. From original bamboo, It have go through 10 steps to become a final product.
10 steps to make spun bamboo products:
First step to make spun bamboo bowl
Our farmers have to go to forest and take fresh bamboo. After 3-5 years from planting, bamboo trees are harvested. Farmers have to choose tree which is tall and strong. This helps preliminary treatment process become easier. Then our factory collects and go to step 2.
Soaking bamboo during 3 or 4 months into, the water under the average temperature of 30°C, then pick them up and dry under the sunshine about 7 days. We must perform this step because of preventing some types of insects.
Step 3
Splitting bamboo lathes into small parts called small bamboo laths.
Next, Step 4:
After we have chosen appropriate small bamboo laths to design our products, We twine it around the product.
Let’s continue with Step 5:
The Style of product is based on customer requirements, then painting them together with glue in order to making them became more solid
Step 6:
Making products smoothly, then rub stone-powder mix with glue on the sunface of products to disappear failure points.
Go through Step 7:
Making bamboo products more smoothly by machinery
Step 8:
The products continue to be Smoothed by hand again, then dry under the sunshine with average temperature of 12oc
Step 9:
After the process of making products smoothly by hand. The product is painted with colors
Finally Step 10:
Spray finishing with final products(Spun Bamboo Bowl)
In each step, artisans have to perform carefully.
The journey was closed but my impression was so deep. I know the importance of improving Vietnam traditional occupation and introduce these products to all over the world. It does not exist the value for the face of economic but they are meaning of culture.
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