In the current pace of modern life, where traditional crafts are gradually fading, 4 OCOP products bearing the strong features of traditional crafts of Raglai people namely Chapi (musical instrument), gourd flute (musical instrument), carrying basket, and crossbow set created by Mau Hong Thai (Hon Dung Hamlet, Khanh Son Commune), not only serve the community's daily needs but also become tourism products for tourists from different places.
Mau Hong Thai making handicrafts
Visitors to Hon Dung community tourism hamlet who stop at Mau Hong Thai’s souvenir shop are often interested in Thai’s performances of Raglai musical instruments such as Chapi and gourd flute. They are even more surprised to learn that Thai crafted all these instruments himself. In addition to these two musical instruments, Thai also produces other traditional handicrafts such as Raglai’s carrying basket and crossbow set. All 4 of the traditional handicrafts Thai created bear the name Hong Thai and were recognized as 3-star OCOP products. Reportedly, initially, Thai wasn't too interested in registering for OCOP. Then, learning that tourists are interested in the products, Thai decided to register for OCOP in order to affirm the quality of his products as well as promote Raglai people’s traditional products.
Thai tells visitors the story behind the OCOP products he creates. He explains that a Raglai man is regarded as truly mature when he can weave a good basket for farming, craft a dependable crossbow for hunting and make musical instruments. Men who can weave beautiful and sturdy baskets, make good crossbows and arrows for hunting, make Chapi and gourd flutes with good sound, will be popular among girls. At night, young men and women often gather in front of the long house. The girls sing epic folk songs accompanied by Chapi and gourd flute. During the rice harvest, Cham people go to the fields, bringing their baskets and crossbows, singing cheerful harvest songs accompanied by Chapi and gourd flutes.
OCOP products of Mau Hong Thai
Pham Quy Hai, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, was interested in the story of Thai. Hai had learned about Chapi through literature, but this was the first time he had witnessed how Chapi was made and performed. Hai was even more impressed to learn how close this musical instrument is to the daily life and activities of the community of Raglai people and become their "soul". For this reason, during his visit to Hon Dung community tourism hamlet, Hai decided to stop by Thai's souvenir shop to learn more about the beautiful cultural tradition of the Raglai and buy some Thai's OCOP products.
According to Nguyen Ngoc Hai, vice-chairman of Khanh Son Commune People's Committee, Khanh Son Commune currently has 9 OCOP products, including 1 4-star OCOP product and 8 3-star OCOP products. Among the OCOP products, 4 3-star OCOP products named Hong Thai belong to an ethnic minority person. In addition to preserving and developing traditional crafts and creating quality products for daily use, Thai's OCOP products also serve as tourism products at Hon Dung community tourism hamlet to preserve and promote good traditional value of the Raglai. Besides these traditional handicrafts, Khanh Son Commune People's Committee is now supporting the family of Mau Quoc He, an ethnic minority household in Hon Dung Hamlet, to develop the traditional “ruou can” (wine drunk out of jars through piles) of Raglai into an OCOP product to serve tourists visiting Khanh Son Commune.
Hai Lang - Translated by H.N