Zèng weaving has long been closely associated with the lives of the Ta Oi ethnic people in Hue city. Not simply a traditional handicraft, Zèng weaving is also a unique folk art form, reflecting aesthetic thinking, beliefs and cultural identity preserved by the community through many generations.
In the life of the Ta Oi people, Zèng boards are present in many important events. These are items used in spiritual rituals, ancestor worship activities, and are also meaningful gifts expressing family affection and community cohesion.
For many Ta Oi girls, the Zèng board also carries the meaning of sending love to the person they love, showing the virtues of dexterity and diligence of women.
To create a complete Zèng product, the craftsman must go through many elaborate stages. Traditional weaving frames are made of bamboo or wood, with simple structures but convenient for movement and use. Thanks to that, Ta Oi women can bring weaving frames to many places and take advantage of working in their spare time.
The main source of raw materials is prepared from annual cotton harvests. After harvest, cotton is sewn into fibers and then goes through staining and fiber treatment stages.
The special thing is that the colors on Zèng are all created from natural materials. Black is taken from the bark and leaves of forest trees, yellow from tubers, red from traditional dyeing plants and many other herbs. To keep the colors beautiful over time, craftsmen also use folk experiences accumulated through many generations.
When the threads have completed the dyeing stage, the woman starts to frame and weave. Depending on the purpose of use, they choose the right type of thread. Soft and smooth threads are often used to weave fabric for sewing clothes, while thicker threads are used to make blankets, carpets or household items.
Each stage requires carefulness, meticulousness and patience. Some products take many days, even months to complete.
The special feature of Zèng lies in the uniqueness in each product. Although based on traditional pattern motifs inspired by nature and working life, each artisan has their own way of color coordination, pattern arrangement and expressing ideas.
It is this creativity that has created unique artistic value for each Zèng piece, making no product completely identical to any other product. With unique cultural values, the Zèng weaving craft of the Ta Oi people has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
In recent years, the locality has actively preserved and promoted traditional crafts, and at the same time brought Zeng products into contemporary life through fashion, souvenirs and cultural promotion activities.
