Handicraft Manufacturer Material Sourcing-Finding Bamboo

Handicraft Manufacturer and Natural Material Sourcing

Simple Decor is proud to be a trusted manufacturer of Handicraft products made in Vietnam for over 10 years. As the world is developing at an unprecedented pace, we believe Simple Decor, as a supplier and manufacturer, also has to strive for innovation and change. A part of what we focus on innovating is material input. The outlook of the natural material cultivation changes daily as new discoveries are made. A better input makes a better offering, thus, builds stronger partnerships. For this, we headed out in search for new bamboo sources in the North-west regions of Vietnam. Handicraft Manufacturer Material Sourcing 

The Road To The Land Of Bamboo

Due west of Hanoi, via “Thăng Long” highway, the journey took us 8 hours by car. We headed out later in the day as the sun still lingered in sky. We arrived in Hoa Binh city just over an hour in, Hoa Binh city houses what used to be the biggest hydropower plant in South-East Asia – Hòa Bình Hydropower plant – until it was dethroned in 2012 by the Sơn La Hydropower plant. It was one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Vietnamese people in the later part of the 20^th century.

We stopped briefly to witness the majestic dam and moved on with our journey to find bamboo. The roads heading west from Hòa Bình are smaller mountainous roads with sharp turns and steep passes. The more arduous part of the journey had just begun.

As we kept driving, towns and vast paddy fields were replaced by scattered stilt houses and mountains. As we got closer to Sơn La province, bamboo forests started to appear, one by one, growing freely in the barren earth which many have given up on. Bamboo is among the most resilient plants of the topical climate and can grow at an astounding rate of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) per day. This leaves them as a sustainable option for handicraft production. The supply of Handicraft bamboo products in Vietnam are considerably non-depletable thanks to the efforts to grow and manage bamboo forests.

After arriving at the site, we can see vast mountain ranges covered by bamboo. There are 3 main families of bamboo grown here, “luồng” – scientific name: dendrocalamus, has a strong and thick trunk, suitable for Handicraft Bamboo Furniture, “Trúc” – scientifically called Phyllostachys, has a small but flexible trunk often made into slats for weaving, and “Giang” – Maclurochloa, has average sized trunks with noticeable growth and durability.

Bamboo – The Lifesource of Ethnic Vietnamese

Sơn La is mostly populated by minorities, each with their own culture and traditions. However, they are all linked by a life integrated with bamboo. They have used bamboo for centuries in a plethora of aspects. For lodging, bamboo is used alongside other materials to build stilt houses strong enough to withstand the harsh mountainous conditions. For working, bamboo baskets are essential to the lives of the minorities. They are so strong, lightweight, and easily made that bags are made obsolete. The bond goes so deep that every man and woman there has grown up inside one. Yes, the storage baskets are not only made for things, mothers use them to carry their young ones when they traverse the mountains. These are specifically called “địu”.

There should be no questioning why these people are the best at making Bamboo Handicrafts, and often, their crafts are considered premium, flawless to the most minute details. The journey we embarked on was not only to find Bamboo sources, but moreover, to learn the culture and the art to perfect our offerings.

Join us on The Green Path Forward.