Viet Quang bamboo and rattan company is well known in Phu Vinh traditional craft village, Phu Nghia commune, Chuong My district, Hanoi. They make many unique products imbued with the Vietnamese culture trait.
According to Hanoi new rural coordination office’s results of OCOP product classification and evaluation, the bamboo and rattan products of Viet Quang company were granted certificates by the Hanoi People's Committee for four-star OCOP products. These products consist of a dragon scale knitting lamp set, trio bowl, lattice basket, rectangular tray, paper box, pen box set and fruit tray.
Although they have simple and rustic shapes, the bamboo and rattan products of Viet Quang company require sophisticated knitting techniques without using machinery. Thanks to the skillful hands of the craftspeople, Viet Quang products have many differences compared to other products on the market.
The director of Viet Quang company, Nguyen Van Tinh is known for his products such as portraits, landscape paintings and horizontal lacquered boards made from bamboo and rattan. Tinh’s father is Nguyen Van Khieu who was the first person to successfully knit a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh using bamboo and rattan.
Carefully selecting material. Photo: Khanh Long/VNP
Artisan Nguyen Van Tinh with his products. Photo: Khanh Long/VNP
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Tinh started learning the craft when he was 10 years old. By the age of 17, he had good techniques in the knitting process and mixing materials to finish each product. He got better and better each day. In 1986, he got his first award, the gold medal of handicraft products, awarded by the Central Union of Handicraft Cooperatives. He was honored as a meritorious artisan by the Hanoi People’s Committee in 2009.
His sons are Nguyen Van Binh and Nguyen Phuong Quang and have been granted as artisans. Nguyen Phuong Quang was the youngest artisan in the Phu Vinh craft village. Quang received the artisan certificate in 2012 when he was 28 years old. In 2016, Nguyen Phuong Quang was honored as meritorious artisan by the President of Vietnam.
All of the members in Nguyen Van Tinh’s family are never satisfied with their products. They are constantly studying and creating new models. Thanks to the skills of Tinh and his sons, rattan and bamboo sticks are turned into unique works of art.
By Khanh Long & Cong Dat Translated by Nguyen Tuoi