Ethnic minorities’ traditional costumes shine at festival

The festival gathers representatives from 22 ethnic minority groups from 17 northern provinces. They will introduce their casual outfits as well as the festival costumes and wedding dresses of their group. In the photo is San Diu women preparing costumes for performing at the festival. The San Diu ethnic minority people, believed to have migrated from Guangdong, China in 1600, are now living in villages in Vietnam’s northern midlands and mountainous areas. The San Diu are also known as San Deo, Trai, Trai Dat and Man Quan Coc. Traditionally, San Diu ethnic women make their own clothes. A piece of traditional clothing often takes several months to complete. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The festival will take place from November 18-20 at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Son Tay town on the outskirts of Hanoi. The village, covering a total area of more than 1,500 hectares with seven functional areas, is described as a “common home” of the 54 ethnic groups across the nation. Among them, the zone for ethnic minority villages is considered the heart of the culture-tourism village. So far, people from 13 ethnic groups have come from every corner of the country to reside here, including Tay, Dao, Muong, Thai, Kho Mu, Ta Oi, Co Tu and Khmer. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The corner for the performance of Tay ethnic minority group. With around 1.7 million people, the Tay are the biggest ethnic minority group in Vietnam. They live mainly in Vietnam’s northern and northwestern provinces - Cao Bang, Bac Can, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, and Lao Cai. They live along rivers in mountain foothills. The Tay build their villages in valleys, on mountainsides, or in the highlands. A Tay village has from 20 to over a hundred households. They live in wooden stilt houses with tile or palm leaf roofs. Both men and women wear clothes made of hand-woven cotton, dyed with indigo. Women wear high collared, waist- or knee-length shirts buttoned on the right side. Their pants have roomy legs and a wide belt. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Themed “The colours of northern ethnic traditional costumes amid integration and development era,” the festival gathers representatives of 17 provinces and cities in the region, including Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Phuc Tho, Hoa Binh, Son La, Yen Bai, and Lao Cai. It is expected to feature a meeting with artisans and people who have made significant contributions to the preservation of ethnic culture, a seminar, a fashion show, and a number of exhibitions, among other activities. The event offers an opportunity for ethnic artisans and artists to exchange experiences and learn from one another and for their communities to popularise their traditional culture to domestic and international visitors. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The corner for showcasing the traditional costumes of Mong ethnic minority people from the northern province of Ha Giang. The clothes of Mong women are colorful. The White Mong wear pleated skirts which sway when they walk. Necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry make them more eye-catching. They grow flax and spin and weave the fiber to make their own clothes. The Mong people make fabric from the cellulose fibres that grow inside of the stalks of the flax plants. The Mong believe that flax fiber spiritually connects the deceased with their ancestors. Flax clothes are always worn for worship rituals and ceremonies. Their costumes show you their culture, artistic values, and history. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Newly dyed linen rolls are displayed at the festival. Making linen fabric from flax fibre requires a lot of work with all of the stages being done manually. There are a lot of things to do to turn flax seeds into linen fabrics. The third lunar month is the time for sowing flax seeds. Mong people have learned from experience that to ensure the quality of fibres, the harvest should be carried out about 70 days from the date of seed sowing. Flax plants are cut just above the soil surface and all leaves are removed. The stems are then bundled together into sheaves, called beets, and left to dry in the sun for up to two weeks. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Ethnic minority women help each other to prepare their costumes before performing. Vietnam is a multi-nationality country with 54 ethnic groups. The Viet (Kinh) people account for 87% of the country's population and mainly inhabit the Red River delta, the central coastal delta, the Mekong delta and major cities. The other 53 ethnic minority groups, totaling over 8 million people, are scattered over mountain areas (covering two-thirds of the country's territory) spreading from the North to the South. Among ethnic minorities, the largest ones are Tay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer, and Nung with a population of around 1 million each, while the smallest are Brau, Roman, Odu with several hundred people each. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A woman from San Diu group (left) and another from Cao Lan group (right) from northern Vinh Phuc province. San Diu women often layer their clothes, a traditional white top inside and an indigo black light jacket outside. Young women secure their jacket with a green or red belt, right side over left. The highlight of the San Diu’s traditional women’s clothes is the skirt made up of two to four separate pieces of clothes of different kinds. These pieces are tied to the waist line to make it look like a skirt. They decorate the skirt with a belt of colorful threads. San Diu’s traditional clothes do not feature patterns, only the traditional top is embroidered in a simple manner. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Two women from Lu ethnic minority group. Lu is an ethnos of the Tay-Thai language group, residing largely in a number of communes of Phong Tho and Sin Ho districts of Lai Chau province. Lu women’s clothing includes turbans, blouses, skirts, belts, and necklaces. The colourful patterns on their clothes depict trees, plants, and flowers to adorn Lu women’s beauty. Lu women still weave, embroider, and sew turbans, blouses, skirts and belts, preserving a long standing cultural tradition. Lu women always wear two or three skirts at a time, with each underskirt protruding 3 to 4cm beyond the skirt above. Each skirt is sewn from three separate pieces of cloth: the waistband, the skirt body, and the skirt foot. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A woman from Lu ethnic minority group putting a fragrant leaf on the turban on her hair. Even if the leaves are wilted, they still have a sweet fragrance. Lu women’s turbans are made of cotton and dyed indigo. They are more than 4m in length and 30cm in width and have a 20-centimeter fringe on each end. The ends are woven with 18 alternating black and white stripes of varying size and decorated with yellow tassels. When worn, turbans are folded in quarters lengthwise and wound around chignons worn on the left side of the head. The Lu embroidery techniques require patience and care. The fabric is hand-woven, it is very durable. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A woman from Lu group and another from La Hu group from Lai Chau in their wedding dresses. The La Hu live in villages built on mountain slopes. These houses are level with the ground and divided by bamboo partitions. Young men and women are free to choose their partners. After the wedding, the groom has to live with his wife's family for several years, but then takes his wife to his family house. Casually, women wear trousers and a long-lap shirt that falls to their ankles. They also wear a short vest during festive days. The collar, chest stripes, and sleeves are either embroidered or sewn with colourful pieces of cloth, silver, tin coins, or red fringes. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Ha Son, a man from Dao Tien ethnic minority group in Bac Kan province shows a piece of fabric that is woven in the traditional style of his group. The two most recognised features of Dao Tien’s garments are the dyeing techniques and the decorations. They are considered as the basic elements for a beautiful dress. Moreover, the combination of white and indigo also helps to create the unique point in Dao Tien fashion. The process of cloth weaving includes collecting hemp, then having them soaked in cold water for many hours. Dao Tien women use the simple traditional looms to weave the cloth. A typical piece of cloth is about 40cm in length and 30cm in width. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Women from Muong ethnic minority group in Hoa Binh province perform their weaving craft at the festival. Mong women wear long-sleeved black blouses. The front lap is short to the waist, the back lap is slightly longer. The sleeves are added with green or red cloth. The skirt is indigo-dyed with floral patterns and added with colorful thread. The decorations on the clothes are mainly made up of colored cloth mosaics and the embroidery patterns are mainly in the shapes of squares, fillings and cross. Men's clothing is often black, extending the sleeves with cloth added red and blue thread. They wear a wide tube with a blue waistband tied in the front and it is dropped down. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Girls from Nung ethnic group in Cao Bang, Mong group in Son La and Mong group in Dien Bien at the festival (From left). Vietnam is a multi-nationality country with 54 ethnic groups. The Viet (Kinh) people account for 87% of the country's population and mainly inhabit the Red River delta, the central coastal delta, the Mekong delta and major cities. The other 53 ethnic minority groups, totaling over 8 million people, are scattered over mountain areas (covering two-thirds of the country's territory) spreading from the North to the South. Among ethnic minorities, the largest ones are Tay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer, and Nung while the smallest are Brau, Roman, Odu with several hundred people each. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A Tay woman from Bac Giang. The Tay in the northern region believe that the indigo colour represents faithfulness and deep sincerity. The folktale says that in olden times, a young woman waited many years for the man who was sent to the battlefield to fight invaders, but he didn’t come back. She left her house for the battlefield to find him, but died on the way of exhaustion. Respected for her bravery and faithfulness, the villagers buried her in the forest. One day from her grave grew a strange plant which had a special aroma. It’s the indigo plant. Since then the Tay use the indigo to dye cotton fabric and make clothes. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Women from Dao Thanh Phan group in Binh Lieu, Quang Ninh province, often wrap their heads in a red scarf, printed with patterns and tie a string at the chin, showing their modesty and grace. Married women often have their head shaved and wear a red box covered with a patterned scarf. Embroidery has long been associated with the life of the Dao Thanh Phan people, no matter the age. Almost everyone knows how to embroider. Before getting married, Dao girls embroidered their wedding dresses by hand and also made clothes for their mother-in-law as a present. Also, they believe wearing colourful clothes will help keep them safe and not getting attacked by wild animals from the mountainous areas. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Thanh Duong, a Dao woman is glorious in her wedding dress. The Dao are a major ethnic group with a population of 891,151 according to the 2019 census. They consist of several sub-groups and live mostly in the northern region. They have a diverse and rich culture and speak a number of different languages. The attire of the Dao men consists of trousers and short vests. Women's attire is more diversified and is often decorated with many traditional motifs. The Dao mainly live off of rice cultivation and by growing subsidiary crops. Sidelines occupations include weaving, carpentering, blacksmithing, papermaking and vegetable oil production. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Vung Thi Sung, a woman from Mong ethnic group, is making embroidery in the booth of Son La province. Mong embroidery and traditional costume sewing has been practiced in Son La’s Van Ho district for many generations. Mong people usually make their own clothes, especially for Tet, the traditional lunar New Year holiday, when the members of a Mong family make themselves at least 1 or 2 new outfits. The motifs and patterns off Mong textiles represent their social life, culture, history, and aspirations. The main decorations on Mong outfits are crosses, triangles or lozenges of contrasting colours using embroidery or encaustic painting. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Mong women in Son La province on their traditional costume with a unique hat decorated with round and red flowers symbolising peach flowers. Son La is a land with diverse culture, rich and imbued with national identity, where 12 ethnic groups have lived for a long time. Each ethnic group has a treasure of cultural heritage with its own nuances and is extremely valuable. The Mong ethnic group in Son La lives in mountainous communes of 12 districts and cities, accounting for more than 15% of the population in the province. This is an ethnic group with many unique customs, practices and cultural values, which are being handed down and popularized in daily life. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The Mong woman shows off her newly embroidered fabrics with colorful patterns. Growing flax for making costumes is a special cultural feature of the Mong. Every Mong girl can make embroidery and costume for themselves. A Mong girl about to get married always receives a sewing machine as a wedding gift. According to Mong customs, a groom-to-be has to bring two sets of linen clothes as presents for his future in-laws in order to thank them for raising up the bride. When a Mong man dies, he will be dressed in linen clothes as the Hmong believe flax fibers can lead the spirits of the dead persons back to their ancestors and help them reincarnate as humans. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Vung Thi Sung says that old women are often very skillful in embroidery making. Traditional costumes of the Mong are decorated with hand embroidery in meticulous and intricate patterns and bright colours. The traditional costume of the Mong women in Van Ho used to be made of linen fabric. However, making linen fabric from flax fibre requires a lot of work with all of the stages being done manually. For this reason, most Mong women have switched to commercial fabrics. In Long Luong and Pa Co communes in Van Ho district, where over 85% of the population is Mong, only some families still preserve the traditional craft of cultivating flax plants and traditionally weaving linen fabric using bamboo or wooden looms. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Nung children from Thai Nguyen province. The costume of the Nung is not as colorful as that of other ethnic groups. Nung clothes are made of indigo dyed fabric with very few decorations or embroidery. Their dressing habits reflect their culture and customs. The Nung live in high mountain areas. They weave and dye fabric and make their own clothes. Each Nung clan applies a slightly different decoration to their clothes, but in general Nung clothes are plain. Indigo is the main color, with variations of light blue, dark blue, and blue-black. Both men and women wear loose pants which are embroidered with colorful lines around the cuffs. The shirts have large sleeves which allow them to move freely. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups, each of which has its own unique cultural identity. At the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, ethnic minority people join State agencies and experts in preserving and introducing their communities’ cultural values to visitors. The village is described as a “common home” of the 54 ethnic groups across the nation. It has a total area of 1,544 hectares with seven functional zones. Among them, the zone for ethnic minority villages is considered the heart of the culture-tourism village. The ethnic group residing her have showcased their original cultures through not only their traditional houses or places of worship, but also the daily activities and festivals celebrated in the village. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The traditional costume of men and women from Cao Lan ethnic minority group in Vinh Phuc province. Cao Lan is one of the two ethnic groups of San Chay (Cao Lan - San Chi). The Cao Lan-San Chi ethnic minority group resides scatteredly in hilly and mountainous areas of the northern midland provinces. A special type of shirt of Cao Lan women is a “pu dan dinh”, the shirt is indigo. Underneath the shirt, white squarecloth pieces are attached. The dress is unbuttoned, while wearing the lumbar belt outside. Men's clothing has many similarities to the costumes of the two Tay and Nung ethnic groups. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The exhibition area of ethnic minority groups from Vinh Phuc province. According to the provincial Department of Ethnic Affairs, Vinh Phuc is now home to 40 ethnic minority groups with 55,400 residents, mostly the San Diu ethnic people. Bordering Hanoi capital city, Vinh Phuc has become an ideal destination for short holidays. Its tourist attractions include Tay Thien site, Tam Dao National Park, Flamingo Dai Lai, and FLC Vinh Phuc resorts.  Recently, its Tam Dao tourism area has been honoured as the world’s leading town destination in 2022. The title was previously announced at the 29th World Travel Awards held in Oman in November this year. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Ma Thi Dung (middle) and her sisters from Nung ethnic group come to the capital city for the festival. She shows her delight to have a chance to introduce the traditional costumes of her group as well as the craft of dyeing, weaving and making embroidery. The festival is part of the national great solidarity and Vietnamese cultural heritage week 2022, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Those attending can admire the colourful outfits of ethnic minority groups in the north, which they wear in daily life and at rituals. Preserving the unique identities of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups is pursued by the Party, the State, and the cultural industry, and is a source of pride for the ethnic minority groups themselves. (Photo: VietnamPlus)