In the last days of the year, the streets and alleys of Ha Tinh are filled with vibrant colors of tall bamboo poles reaching the sky.
According to folk beliefs, people erect bamboo poles in front of their houses from the 23rd day of the lunar month to ward off evil spirits and bring luck to their families in the coming year.
The tradition of decorating bamboo poles has now led to various services, creating jobs and income for many people during the Lunar New Year. To serve the demand for bamboo poles this year, Mr. Tran Huu Sang’s family (65 years old, living in Thach Chau commune, Loc Ha district) had to hire 2 young men and work day and night to fulfill orders.
“Since the 20th day of the lunar month, we have received many orders for bamboo poles, so we have been working non-stop. Each day, our team can complete 10-15 bamboo poles for customers, and each person can earn 800,000-1,000,000 VND per day,” Mr. Sang said.
To have tall and straight bamboo poles, people often choose old bamboo trees without broken tops. After cutting the bamboo, people remove the branches and leave some leaves at the top of the tree.
People decorate the bamboo poles with top leaves wrapped around from the base to the top. To obtain the top leaves, people have to go to the forest to cut them or buy them for 200,000-220,000 VND per bundle.
To prevent the top leaves from falling off, craftsmen use strings to secure them.
After wrapping the top leaves, the next step is to decorate the bamboo poles with LED lights. Craftsmen will spiral the lights around the bamboo pole from the base to the top.
On the top of the bamboo poles, people often attach the national flag or red lanterns.
It requires the joint effort of 2-3 physically fit individuals to erect the bamboo poles.
Each complete bamboo pole costs from 1,000,000 to 1,200,000 VND, including labor costs.
After completion, the bamboo poles are erected in front of houses. In the evening, the illuminated bamboo poles create a warm and festive atmosphere for the Lunar New Year.
