Sedge planting and mat making is a common source of livelihood in many provinces in Vietnam, but Nga Son in Thanh Hoa Province stands out from all the rest when it comes to quality. For centuries, Nga Son has been creating beautiful, unique and affordable sedge mats that earned its fame and piqued the interest of tourists not only within the country but from all over the globe.
Sedge mat making involves several steps: spinning, dyeing, drying and weaving. It also takes a lot of manpower to create the beautiful mats, in fact hundreds of workers in big workshops weaving one-of-a-kind sedge mats. Nga Son’s products differ from the other provinces in that their sedge is longer, naturally white and free from black spots caused by stem borers.
Photo by http://eng.langnghevietnam.vn/
Through time, the onset of modernization produced commercial plastic mats that competed with the traditional sedge mats. But for people who know the value of quality, they still preferred Nga Son’s sedge mats which were proven to be authentic and of the best kind. And more than beauty and function, Nga Son’s sedge mats represent Vietnamese tradition and heritage which, unlike the artificial plastic mats, will last for even generations to come.