Women in Tong Dau commune, Mai Chau district have jointly opened a cooperative specialising in making brocade products as a way to preserve traditional brocade weaving and increase their incomes.
Members of Tong Dau Cooperative in Tong Dau commune, Mai
Chau district make brocade products.
Mai Chau is a popular tourist attraction in Hoa Binh province offering
community-based tourism, cultural, ecological and resort tourism. It is home to
Thai people with a long-standing culture that can be seen in their lifestyle,
costumes, farming style and stilt houses. Notably, when it comes to the cultural
quintessence of the Thai people, it is impossible not to mention the
traditional brocade weaving.
Recognising the value and significance of brocade weaving in
preserving the Thai culture, women in Tong Dau commune have established the
Tong Dau Cooperative.
Ha Thi Ha Chi, deputy director of Tong Dau Cooperative said that
the cooperative is developing a project on preserving and developing the
traditional weaving and dyeing profession of the Thai ethnic group in a green
direction associated with community tourism in Mai Chau district.
The project will compete in a contest launched by the Vietnam
Women's Union on women's startups and green transformation. It aims to improve
the production capacity of woven and dyed products of the Thai ethnic group,
train local younger generation in traditional weaving and dyeing skills and
develop the market for naturally dyed textile products. Currently, all of the
cooperative's products are sold to organisations and businesses that signed
contracts with the cooperative.
Members of the cooperative have also actively applied
innovations in weaving to perfect their products. Besides skills that the women
learnt when they were little girls, Tong Dau women work hard to create products
that meet consumer tastes today.
The typical characteristic of brocade patterns is the complex
combination of colours without being showy. The main patterns are flowers,
leaves, plants, birds or shapes arranged in a balanced manner according to
rules. Brocade products are used in a variety of ways, from making costumes to
accessories, most commonly handbags. Other brocaded items include wallets,
backpacks, bracelets, and earrings. Brocaded products are also used to make
household items, as dowries for daughters when they get married, and souvenirs
for tourists.
In addition to conventional sale, the cooperative also sells its
products online through its website, social network accounts and e-commerce
platforms such as Shopee and Tiktok.
The cooperative also plans to enter into joint ventures and partnerships
with other cooperatives in Hoa Binh and other provinces to promote its brand.
Lo Thi Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of Tong Dau Commune People's Committee, said that
to enhance the values of local traditional products, the commune authorities
always create favourable conditions for the cooperative to develop its
production and expand market.
Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.
Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.
The Muong group is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam, primarily found in Hoa Binh province. The Muong people in Hoa Binh boast a rich and diverse cultural treasure that reflects the unique identity of this ethnic group. Accounting for over 63% of the province's population, they have created and preserved numerous distinctive cultural values, contributing to their unique identity. Their cultural heritage is an invaluable asset, at the heart of their national identity, and represents a vibrant spiritual life that must be preserved and promoted in today’s modern world.
For generations, the ethnic communities of Hoa Binh province, particularly the Muong people, have preserved vibrant festivals deeply intertwined with the region’s geography, nature, and social traditions. These celebrations enrich Hoa Binh’s spiritual life and cultural identity, reflecting both folk beliefs and the intermingling of ethnic customs. Many of these festivals have endured the test of time, passed down through generations and continuing to thrive today. Among them, the Khai Ha (Going Down to the Field) festival stands out as one of the most significant events of the Muong ethnic group.
Muong calendar, known as sach doi, is an ancient folk knowledge system developed through observations of the movement of the pleiades star. This unique calendar consists of 12 bamboo sticks, each representing a lunar month. Specific days within each month are marked with distinct symbols, guiding locals in determining auspicious and inauspicious days for important activities.
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