Located on the slope leading to "Dinosaur Spine", Ta Sua's Stories (Ta Xua commune, Son La province) is a small indigo dyeing workshop, where visitors can directly experience and create handicrafts such as bags, scarves, shirts... bearing a strong personal imprint.
According to Mr. Nguyen Trong Thinh - founder of Ta Sua's Stories, each experience session is organized on a small scale, with a maximum of 10 people, to ensure the quality of guidance and creative space for each visitor. Here, participants can personally perform the entire process, from drawing patterns to indigo dyeing and bringing finished products as souvenirs.
Before starting, visitors are introduced to the history and meaning of indigo in the life and culture of the Mong people. This is not only a characteristic color but also associated with the daily life of the highland people.
During the experience, visitors can choose to dye on many types of fabrics of different sizes. The guide will show you how to create patterns with beeswax and rice flour - traditional techniques that help maintain color and create unique lines before putting the fabric into the indigo dyeing bin.
Sharing about this experience, Nguyen Quynh Anh (born in 2002, Thanh Hoa) said: "I am very impressed. Previously, when mentioning Ta Xua, I only thought of hunting clouds or majestic mountain scenery, unexpectedly there was such an interesting and meaningful handicraft experience.
From meticulous and slow operations, participants can more clearly feel the value of handicrafts and the meticulousness in each stage.
Trinh Phuong Thao (born in 2003, Hanoi) shared that the indigo dyeing experience is one of the most memorable memories in her trip to Ta Xua.
According to Thao, such activities not only bring new experiences to tourists but also contribute to preserving and spreading traditional cultural values.
If developed in the right direction, handicraft experience models can become a highlight for Ta Xua tourism. This both helps people maintain traditional crafts and opens up opportunities for economic development associated with sustainable tourism.
In the peaceful space of the mountains and forests, sitting and meticulously drawing each motif on the fabric, waiting for it to dry and then dipping it in a bamboo drum brings a different feeling compared to the usual hurried pace of life. When the patterns gradually become clear on the fabric background, it is not only the result of an experience session, but also a connection between the craftsman and the land.
A scarf dyed with indigo, therefore, is not simply a souvenir. It is also a memory of a journey, of moments of silence in the mountains and forests, and of a Ta Xua that is not only cloudy, but also has cultural stories told by the hands of the experienced person.
