Visitors to Sa Dec Town in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap can admire gardens full of colorful flowers in spring time or visit Huynh Thuy Le House where French hit movie L’amant (The Lover) was filmed.

A winding road in Dinh An Village is covered with dyed mats - Photos: Lam Van Son

But there is another side to this area of the delta and tourists should take time to have a look at Dinh An sleeping mat craft village in Dinh Yen Commune, Lap Vo District.

Located around 33 kilometers from Sa Dec Town, the craft village lies along the bank of Hau River. Through the passage of time and industrial development, the village has stood strong for almost 100 years and it is a source of pride for locals and an attractive tourist site.

For a long time, sleeping mats were a way of life in Vietnam. People still use the mats to sleep or sit on and not only in homes as they are used in religious ceremonies or sacred places or festivals. In Vietnamese culture, a beautiful sleeping mat is very important for newly-weds and the mat is considered part of many love stories.

The main material to make sleeping mats is lat trees. Every household, in the village, has one or two weaving looms. The craft is handed down to younger generations in the craft village. It is a fascinating spectacle for visitors to see the whole family gather to make mats as they choose lat strings to dry, weave and decorate.

A family in Dinh An Village in the process of weaving a sedge mat