In the Mekong Delta, Long Dinh village in Tien Giang province is famous for its traditional craft of weaving sedge mats. The mats’ high quality makes them popular domestically, and they are also exported to markets worldwide. In spite of Its well-established reputation for this traditional craft, mat weaving only started here some 50 years ago. It was first introduced by immigrants from Kim Son, a famous mat weaving village in Ninh Binh province. However, the technique of weaving sedge mats in Long Dinh, as compared with other places, is somewhat different. Long Dinh branded mats arc thicker and have more attractive colours and patterns.
Weaving sedge mats is similar to growing rice. Long Dinh mat production mainly occurs during the dry season, from January to April. Weavers have to work the hardest in May and June; otherwise, when die rainy season starts in July, they will have to put off finishing their products till die next dry season. No matter how much work it requires, Long Dinh mat producers stick with this occupation, as it brings a higher income than growing rice.
This trade provides employment for thousands of local labourers. At present, nearly 1,000 households in Long Dinh village live on weaving mats. To better meet market demands, Long Dinh mat weavers have created many kinds of products besides the traditional sedge mats.

Today, childhood is spent mostly indoors watching television, playing video games and (10) the Internet. When children do go outside, it tends to be for scheduled events like a soccer match or a fishing derby. These events arc held under the watch of adults.
The shift to an indoor childhood has accelerated in (11) past decade, with a significant decline in spontaneous outdoor activities such as bike riding, swimming and touch football, according to separate studies by the National Sporting Goods Association. (12) , a child is six times more likely to play a video game on a typical day than to ride a bike.
Indoor childhood has brought about some changes which can be seen in children’s bodies. In the 1960s, 4% of kids were obese. Today, 16% are overweight. The changes can also be seen in their (13) . Studies indicate that children who spend plenty of time outdoors have a longer attention span than those who watch (14) television and play video games.