Women in Tong Dau commune preserve traditional brocade weaving

7/17/2024 - 11:23:00 PM

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.

Quang Tien commune preserves Muong ethnic culture

Quang Tien commune in Hoa Binh city, home to over 1,300 Muong ethnic minority people, has worked to preserve and promote the traditional cultural traits of the group.

Lac Son district preserves Muong ethic culture

Lac Son district, home to an array of tangible and intangible cultural heritage items of the Muong ethnic group, has paid due attention preserving and promoting the values of their unique culture.

Dao ethnic minority people uphold traditional medicine

With rich knowledge of medicinal materials in nature, Dao ethnic minority people in Tu Son commune of Kim Boi district have practiced traditional medicine for generations and brought their long-standing therapies into play in the current life.

Da Bac district promotes cultural identity of Dao ethnic group

Da Bac district is home to five ethnic groups who make up nearly 90% of its population. Among them, the Dao ethnic group accounts for over 14%. In recent years, focus has been placed on preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Dao people, serving as a foundation for boosting community-based tourism in this mountainous district.

Hoa Binh preserves local relic sites

Hoa Binh province has paid due attention to preserving and managing local cultural relic sites in tandem with branching out tourism, contributing to the socio-economic development.

Thanh Cong Cooperative preserves Muong culture

Thanh Cong Cooperative, established in 2019 in Dan Chu ward, Hoa Binh city, has provided vocational training for rural, ethnic minority labourers, while helping them in selling bamboo, rattan, and brocade products, and preserving the Muong people’s culture.