Not as elaborate, colorful and patterned as other ethnic costumes, the traditional indigo ao dai of Tay ethnic women is almost only a simple indigo color. That ao dai is a symbol of Tay women with humanistic values carrying the pure, simple and gentle feminine beauty of the mountain people. As one of the oldest and most populous ethnic groups in Ha Giang , the Tay ethnic group lives in harmony and solidarity with other ethnic groups on the border land, every day still preserving its own cultural values that have been passed down to this day. Indigo has become a part of the symbol of the Tay ethnic group, the simple but durable indigo dresses have contributed with other ethnic groups to create a colorful land in Ha Giang .
Tay women in Lup village, Phuong Do commune (Ha Giang city) wear traditional ao dai on March 8th holiday
The traditional ao dai of Tay women is dyed indigo naturally in the traditional way. The ao dai has a skirt, a slit at the waist similar to the ao dai of Kinh people, the Tay people also button horizontally on one side of the armpit. The buttons in the past could be made of copper, aluminum or silver. Especially in some areas such as Phuong Do (Ha Giang city), Phuong Tien (Vi Xuyen), Tay women have a short-sleeved shirt worn inside, meticulously sewn with rows of horizontal buttons from the collar down to the short-sleeved shirt, helping to flatter their figure when wearing the traditional ao dai. The indigo scarf and the five-color belt are accessories that go with the indigo ao dai of women. The belt often has many colors, the tassels on both ends are meticulously woven with many patterns that are unique to the ethnic group, and is the most colorful thing in the Tay costume. In the past, Tay women often used this belt to tighten their waists and wear a knife behind their backs when wearing skirts during important holidays, Tet or normal work.
When Tay girls learn to embroider, they are often taught by their mothers and sisters how to pick and dye indigo. Indigo plants are brought from the forest and incubated with ash water and other additives to help turn white fabrics into the traditional indigo color of the people. After dyeing the fabric and sewing the shirts, Tay girls will learn to weave belts from colored threads, and choose a good day for craftsmen to make bracelets and silver necklaces to go with the jewelry. Earrings, silver bracelets, and necklaces are often heirlooms, a dowry that mothers leave for their daughters on their big day. These are simple but indispensable jewelry for Tay women. The white color of silver when worn with indigo ao dai will enhance the traditional costume and skin tone of mountainous women.
Nowadays, with the development trend of the times, the traditional dress of the ethnic group gradually appears less in the daily life of the Tay people. On important holidays and Tet holidays, especially in the weddings of the Tay people, the indigo dress is still chosen by Tay girls to wear on their important holidays. Besides, the folk art groups in the localities, besides teaching and restoring the Then and coi singing melodies of the ethnic group, the indigo dress with the Tinh instrument also reappears more on stages and programs serving tourists visiting tourist attractions.
The image of the indigo shirt with its enduring color is hard to fade in two verses of Viet Bac by poet To Huu:
Indigo shirt brings separation
Holding hands, what to say today...
The indigo color of the nation has entered poetry as a symbol of national solidarity between the people of the highlands and the lowlands during the resistance war. Today, with its humanistic values, the indigo color of the Tay people, though simple and unpretentious, further enhances the gentle, hard-working, and hospitable beauty of Tay women in the highlands. Together with the Tinh lute, the indigo shirt color is still enough to evoke the proud beauty of the Tay community in all regions.
Article and photos: Trong Toan
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