Mr. Mua A Trong, one of the blacksmiths who still preserves the blacksmithing profession in Ta So 1 village, Chieng Hac commune, Moc Chau town.

Visit the family of Mr. Hang A Su, who has been working in the blacksmithing profession for the longest time in Ta So 1 for more than 60 years. Despite his advanced age, each of his hammer blows still resonates firmly and strongly. The knives, hoes, and shovels forged by him are not only durable and sharp, but also have their own sophistication, which is favored by the villagers and tourists. Mr. Su said: To create a quality forged product, blacksmiths must go through many meticulous stages, from preparing raw materials, cutting iron, heating, forging, tempering steel, sharpening, to applying handles and making sheaths for knives.

The Mong people’s forge is simple but fully functional, built from stone and earth and then reinforced with wood for stability. The bellows is placed horizontally next to the stove, made from a large hollowed out log, with a piston inside attached with chicken feathers to create a strong wind, keeping the fire glowing red for the forging process. Along with tools such as hammers, pliers, whetstones, iron anvils, water basins, fresh banana tree trunks and charcoal… all serve the crafting process.

The main raw material for forging agricultural tools is mainly iron recovered from waste. Depending on the type of tool, the craftsman chooses the appropriate type of steel. For sickles, knives or axes... usually use car springs, springs or construction steel, which are types of steel with high flexibility and good rust resistance, helping the product to be sharp and durable over the years.

Children watch Mr. Hang A Su, Ta So 1 village, Chieng Hac commune, Moc Chau town forge knives.

The blacksmithing profession requires the craftsman not only to have good health, but also to be skillful, persistent, creative and most importantly, to love the profession. Each product is created entirely by hand, the crystallization of the craftsman's efforts and dedication. Therefore, the selling price of hand-forged agricultural tools and knives is often 2-3 times higher than that of industrial knives on the market.

Talking to Mr. Su, he shared: I learned blacksmithing at the age of 15, passed down through three generations in my family, from my grandfather, to my father, and then to me. Blacksmithing is a hard, tiring job, and does not bring in high income, so now many young people are no longer interested in the profession. However, I still wholeheartedly teach my children and grandchildren, hoping that the next generation will continue to follow in my footsteps, preserving the family's traditional profession, so that the flame of blacksmithing will never go out.

Mr. Mua A Di, Party cell secretary and head of Ta So 1 village, shared: Currently, the village has 197 households, more than 1,000 people, with 100% of them being Mong ethnic people. In the past, almost every house had a blacksmith, but now only 3 households still maintain the profession. The difficulty is that the young generation is no longer interested, causing the blacksmithing profession to face the risk of extinction. To preserve the traditional blacksmithing profession, the village organizes propaganda to encourage children to learn the profession. Especially in the summer, children are brought to the blacksmith to observe, learn, and gradually absorb the secrets left by their ancestors. In addition, Moc Chau town has oriented to develop community tourism associated with the blacksmithing profession, turning the blacksmiths into experience points for tourists.

Since the beginning of the year, Ta So 1 village has welcomed more than 3,000 tourists, earning about 300 million VND. This not only helps people increase their income, but also contributes to preserving and promoting the Mong ethnic identity, including the traditional blacksmithing profession.

According to: Son La Newspaper