Hới mats are renowned for being durable, beautiful, and intricate. Photo thaido.thaithuy.thaibinh.gov.vn

HƯNG YÊN — From the loom to the Zoom age, Hới Village in Long Hưng Commune, northern Hưng Yên Province, is preserving its centuries-old mat weaving tradition alive while stitching it firmly into the digital economy.

Renowned for producing durable and intricate mats, the village has embraced technology and e-commerce to sustain growth and promote the value of its craft.

According to village elders, the trade was first introduced by Phạm Đôn Lễ, who earned the title of Trạng Nguyên (highest-ranking scholar) in 1481 during the reign of Emperor Lê Thánh Tông. After serving as an envoy to the Ming dynasty, he returned home with mat-weaving techniques from China, which he taught to the villagers.

For generations, families have continued the craft. Villager Đoàn Thị Huệ, who learned to weave as a child, said the work is less difficult than labour-intensive, with multiple stages from harvesting sedge and dyeing to the final weaving.

“To improve the quality of the mats, we select a sedge that meets the standards, which is white with a round texture. The process of preparing the sedge is similar to combing hair; we use a comb to smooth it out so that the sedge is even and straight before feeding it into the weaving machine,” Huệ said.

Local artisans say producing high-quality mats demands experience, creativity and meticulous care. Their skill and innovation have kept designs evolving to meet modern tastes while honouring the village’s heritage.

While weaving was once done entirely by hand, since 2005 many households have invested in machinery, boosting productivity and helping secure stable incomes for the community.

The application of technology and machinary has increased productivity and provided stable income for the local villagers.  Photo thaido.thaithuy.thaibinh.gov.vn

A notable example of this wave of change is Hà Duy Mai’s workshop. Not only did he hire Chinese experts to transfer technology but he also invested billions of đồng in purchasing 10 modern weaving machines for production. Each machine can currently produce 60 mats per day.

“Without investing in technology, the craft village would fall behind. Therefore, the application of modern machinery is an essential path to enhance productivity and maintain the position of Hới mats in both domestic and international markets,” he said.

Mats produced in Hới Village are now available in many provinces across the country and are exported to markets such as Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

Nguyễn Tiến Dũng, head of the Economic Department of Long Hưng Commune, said the locality had defined its direction for the traditional craft village as a combination of preserving its identity and applying technology in the context of digital transformation.

The local authorities are focusing on assisting production households to access e-commerce, digitise production and business processes and build the Hới mat brand in the digital environment. They also encourage residents to invest in modern machinery to enhance competitiveness in the current market, he noted.

Long Hưng Commune is now home to 29 households engaged in mat weaving with 90 machines, generating jobs for nearly 420 labourers. In addition, there are eight facilities specialising in producing nylon mats and imitation rattan mats, with over 310 machines creating jobs for more than 1,000 workers both locally and from surrounding areas. VNS