Villagers keeps soul of Vietnamese countryside alive through leaf hats

Chuong village in Thanh Oai district, Hanoi, is renowned nationwide for the long-standing craft of making conical leaf hats. Today, locals are still working industriously to maintain part of the soul of the Vietnamese countryside.

Located next to the Day River, Chuong is an ancient village where women are still making conical hats every day. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Few people know which era this craft dates back to. The elderly said the village began producing leaf hats in the 8th century. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

In the past, villagers produced various types of hats for different social strata such as women, men, and wealthy residents. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

In its prime, Chuong village supplied a wide range of traditional hats. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Conical leaf hats of Chuong village are famous for their sturdiness and beauty. It takes locals much time and efforts to produce such headgear. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Elder villagers share that the first step is to select materials that include a type of leaves called “lui”. The chosen leaves are buffed against sand and then dried in the sunlight until its colour turns silver white. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

After that, the leaves are quickly pressed under a handful of hot cloth to ensure they are flat but not crispy or torn. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The rings forming the hat framework are made of smoothened bamboo slats. A conical hat of Chuong village comprises 16 rings which are both sturdy and soft. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Villagers place leaves onto the rings and then alternate one layer of bamboo sheaths with another layer of leaves, which will later be sewn together. This is a difficult step since leaves can be torn easily without makers’ skillfulness. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

To create a complete conical hat, makers must be careful in every step, patient, and skillful in each stitch. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Undergoing countless ups and downs in history, though the production of conical hats no longer flourishes as it did in the past, local villagers are still working industriously on the craft. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Older generations are still passing the craft down to younger generations so as to maintain traditional conical hat making, a cultural identity of the Vietnamese people. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

VNA