Melted wasp wax and the beating of the mountains and forests
Pa Co is hidden in the highlands of the Northern region, where there are more than 600 households with nearly 99% being Mong ethnic people.
From a land that once endured many hardships, Pa Co today is putting on a new face. The winding concrete road brings tourists back to the village, opening up a sustainable direction from community tourism associated with the restoration and preservation of traditional cultural values.
In that transformational painting, the floral flared dress and the unique beeswax painting technique of Mong women still retain their pristine and magical appeal.
To make an indigo cloth painting with beeswax, the craftsman must go through dozens of extremely meticulous stages. Right from the preparation stage, beeswax must be skillfully mixed between cai wax (light yellow wax) and tran wax (dark black wax) in a family ratio to both create adhesion and maintain flexibility when placing the pen.
The drawing tool - called "tơ tắng" - is just a small copper plate attached to a wooden handle, with a millimeter gap for wax to flow out. But under the skillful hands of the women, that pen seems to have a soul. Dipping the pen tip into a bowl of beeswax that is simmering on a charcoal stove, the women gently rotate their hands, bringing decisive but extremely soft strokes to the white linen fabric surface.
The hardest thing in painting beeswax is to maintain the uniform heat of the wax and the rhythm of the hand is really standard. The wax that is too hot will overflow and blur lines; the wax that is cold will not stick to the fabric strip. Each line must be calculated with the eyes and experience accumulated from childhood, because once the wax has eaten into the fabric, it cannot be corrected anymore," Ms. Hang Y Tenh - Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Pa Co commune, slowly stroked the brush, and gently shared.
Each strand of melted wasp wax gently smeared on the white fabric is a wake-up memory of the mountains and forests. When the strokes are completed, the fabric is dyed with indigo many times. The fragrant indigo smell blends in the mountain wind. After dyeing, the fabric is dropped into a pot of boiling water with thick smoke. The layer of wasp wax when exposed to high temperatures will melt and drift away, leaving ivory white patterns prominently on the dark blue indigo fabric background. A completely natural process, filtered from the quintessence of heaven and earth.
A measure of patience and maturity
In Pa Co, the art of beeswax painting and embroidery is not simply a livelihood, but a measure of maturity, dexterity and patience of Mong women.
Right from the age of 9-10, Mong girls are taught by their grandmothers and mothers, teaching them how to sew lint, weave fabric and pick each embroidery line. By the age of 15, most girls here can personally cut, sew, paint, and embroider a complete set of traditional costumes for themselves to wear during the traditional Tet holiday or the rice field festival.
Sitting leisurely by the weaving frame, Ms. Sung Y Nong caressed each dress fold meticulously and shared: "To complete a sophisticated traditional flared dress, we had to spend months, even half a year. Every pattern of cross, ô trám, mountain or river... must follow perfect symmetry. Doing this job cannot be rushed. Looking at the dress fold, people know whether that woman is thoughtful, patient and loves her family or not.
Each Mong costume is therefore a unique artwork. The skillful combination of the purple color of embroidery thread, the gentle dark color of indigo fabric and the magical beeswax lines creates a whole that is both strong, brilliant and gentle, shy like wild flowers blooming in the Pa Co mist.
Keeping the fire of traditional crafts in the modern rhythm of life
Pa Co once went through quiet periods, houses once struggled to find ways to escape poverty. But now, along with the development of experiential tourism, patches of indigo fabric painted with beeswax have become "cultural messengers" attracting tourists from afar.
Coming to Pa Co today, visitors not only get to breathe the fresh air of the high mountains, enjoy a warm glass of ice bud wine, but also hold a bronze pen with their own hands, experience the feeling of drawing beeswax on fabric. These practical experiences bring special excitement, helping visitors understand and appreciate the value of traditional handicrafts.
But the greatest value of the beeswax painting profession in Pa Co is not only limited to economic efficiency. It is the succession of generations. The image of meticulous mothers sitting next to their daughters, both teaching how to fold fabric and telling Mong fairy tales by the red charcoal stove has become a peaceful and solid beauty amidst the bustling modern pace of life.
In the era of industrialization, when everything can be mass-produced by machine in just a few minutes, the fact that a Mong woman is willing to sit for hours, weeks just to persistently put each beeswax stroke on the rough fabric becomes extremely sacred and precious. That art reminds us of the value of meticulousness, patience and deep love for the roots.
The Pa Co wax roads still silently flow like a small stream in the great forest. Each stroke not only preserves the soul of Mong costumes, but also gives wings to highland tourism to reach far, sending a simple but profound message: Culture only lives forever when it lies in the beat of the heart and the working hands of each person.
