The brocade fabric was created by the ingenuity, creativity and intelligence of women, is a symbol of cultural identity, and is the pride of the people here.
Unique brocade of ethnic groups in Son La
Coming to the villages and communes where the Thai, H'Mong, Dao, Kho Mu, and Lao ethnic groups live, you can witness the old women working hard at the curtain frame, weaving colorful brocade sheets with unique patterns. The brocade fabrics are diverse and rich in color, pattern, symmetrical patterns, reflecting the concept of the harmony of life, nature, am duong philosophy, yu hanh, spiritual life...
To get brocade fabric, it is necessary to go through many stages, from the idea, patterns, patterns to the selection of threads, seeds, dyeing... all done with just tools to pull the threads, the framework of rough fabric weaving made of wood and bamboo.
Ethnic minorities here often weave or embroider many types of patterns on brocade fabric, used as shirts, dresses, scarves, and cross-wearing bags. Each brocade pattern is the quintessence of folk culture that has been selected, preserved and passed down through many generations, most commonly the pattern and motifs in the shape of a two-headed dragon, a two-headed right bird, a tiger, a pair of snake wrapped together, trees, multi-storey pagodas, the image of a person riding an elephant, bird, fish...
Ms. Lo Thi Am, Muong Va village, Sop Cop commune, said: "The brocade weaving profession has been with me for more than 40 years. Since I was a child, my grandmothers and mothers have taught me how to weave simple patterns, gradually turning me into a master of the craft.
Traditionally, our Lao ethnic costumes are sewn from fabric made from cotton fibers, silk silk, fibers naturally dyed from indigo, brown tubers, Russia lions, yellow turmeric... with many patterns and motifs. To create a beautiful brocade, it is necessary to be meticulous, meticulous and creative by the weaver".
To be more creative in the Lao brocade craft, the younger generation in villages and communes has developed more types of patterns and motifs embroidered on brocade fabric, or hand-woven, including flowers, leaves, plants, and wild animals in nature, enriching and unifying the image on the fabric.
As one of the young people who have been taught the craft and are proficient in brocade weaving in Sop Cop commune, Ms. Lo Thi Van shared: "When I was young, my mother taught me brocade weaving. When I returned to my husband's house, my mother-in-law taught me how to weave new, more beautiful and more difficult patterns.
I always try to learn, considering this a traditional family profession. Handmade brocade weaving is popular with many people. My family's brocade products are displayed and sold at souvenir shops in Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Hanoi and some northern provinces of the Lao PDR".
Preserving and preserving traditional crafts
Coming to Cat Linh village, Muong La commune, visitors can not only admire the wild beauty of the mountains and forests, the winding terraced fields like paintings - a testament to the persistent and creative labor of the people in the highlands, but also feel the peace, rusticity, and warmth in the daily life of the people here.
In particular, H'Mong women in Cat Linh still preserve the traditional weaving and brocade embroidery craft. From flax, they create sophisticated patterned scarves, dresses, and embroidered shirts with the typical colors: Black, white, and blue. At the age of 13 - 14, many girls have been tailored to patch and embroider them. The products are not only used for daily life but are also displayed in stores in the province, contributing to increasing income during the off-season and preserving the traditional craft of their ethnic group.
Ms. Giang Thi Sua, Cat Linh village, said: "In Cat Linh, older women who are proficient in embroidering will teach their children and grandchildren from a young age how to choose fabric, se and choose typical patterns to embroider on ethnic costumes.
In Phieng Pan commune, Ta Xua commune, Chieng Son commune, Moc Chau ward, the art of painting bee wax on flax fabric is still preserved and conserved. This is a unique feature that only exists in the black H'Mong, red H'Mong and flower H'Mong. The Provincial Museum currently displays the dress products of the Mong ethnic group with patterns painted with beeswax to introduce to visitors".
According to Mr. Thao A Su (Lung Tra village, Phieng Pan commune), the art of painting patterns with beeswax on flax fabric is currently taught by truyen hinh, practiced directly, by older women.
"To preserve and conserve this traditional beauty, every year on holidays and Tet, the commune organizes competitions for national costume performances, weaving and painting bee wax on fabric. Therefore, this form of folk knowledge that carries the secret of the profession and is highly artistic is still preserved and promoted," said Mr. Su.
The Thai ethnic group also has its own brocade weaving and embroidery profession, "Nhinh vi dat phai, trai vi san he" means "Gai biet cach lam tan, trai biet trang tham" - this is a saying that seems to belong to every Thai person.
For many generations, Thais have still considered embroidery and weaving as one of the standards to evaluate the ingenuity of women. When returning to her husband's house, each girl often gives her parents-in-law the most beautiful blankets woven and embroidered by herself to show respect.
The art of embroidery and decoration on brocade fabric of the Thai ethnic group is very rich, with more than 30 patterns and motifs, expressing the concept of eternal harmony. The figures of the arranged crab fruit, the stylized ban flower, the long clusters of flowers, the single leaves, double leaves, tree buds, climbing ropes...
All like a miniature world. Traditional brocade and embroidery of Thai people use it until frayed, broken, but the pattern lines are still beautiful. And if the fabric is woven with industrial equipment, only once or twice, there is a phenomenon of fabric and faded.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Hoang Thi Thoat - Head of the Yen Chau Thai Town Cultural Conservation Club, expressed many concerns: "Since the club was established, we have made efforts to collect and restore traditional weaving items, restore the craft process such as pulling strands, rolling strands, weaving fabric on the frame... with the hope that the ancient craft will not be lost.
We also create conditions for our children and grandchildren to learn brocade weaving and embroidery scarves - values imbued with national identity, to preserve and continue the traditions of our ancestors".
In addition, the Muong, Dao, and Kho Mu ethnic groups in Son La province also have the craft of weaving and embroidering brocade with their own features, colorful brocade costumes, patterns according to their age as in their dating age, women who love women will choose light brocade, embroider curving, soaring, poetic patterns. As we age, we often use dark tones as the main color, strong lines and a reflection on life.
The weaving and brocade embroidery profession in Son La not only contributes to preserving the national cultural identity but is also a potential direction in economic development. If harmoniously combining traditional and modern factors, while supporting people to access capital, creating conditions for investment and craft cooperatives, it will also expand employment opportunities for women in mountainous areas and create valuable products in the market.
Every time they come to Son La, visitors not only bring home brocade gifts imbued with mountain paint, but also contribute to preserving the national cultural colors in the diverse picture of Vietnamese culture.
