Water Hyacinth baskets are carefully hand woven by local artisans.
This floating plant grows quickly and can have a negative impact on river traffic and the environment if it grows to much. Through multiple manual processes, the plant is transformed into storage that takes advantage of the light and soft characteristics of the material.
One person can only weave one large basket in a day. This is by no means a large number and although it is a time-consuming and labor intensive process, by preserving and utilizing the hand weave culture, you can experience the various expressions of the weave and color.
Long An Province in southern Vietnam is the source of water hyacinth, which is used in MUJI storage products.
This plant grows so thickly that it fills the surrounding area in just 3 to 4 weeks, destroying the aquatic ecosystem and becoming a source of concern for people. Rather than just weeding it, people wondered if there was a way to utilize it, and this resulted in a handicraft that makes use of the thick and long stems.
MUJI water hyacinth products are made in Ninh Binh Province in northern Vietnam, which has long supported the culture of hand-weaving. The baskets made by local farmers, who sometimes go out into the city to work part-time, are woven one by one in the local area, not only contributing to employment but also preserving the hand-weaving culture itself.
