Lesson 1: Cultural beauty that needs to be preserved

Brocade weaving has existed for a long time in Vietnam, and is a cultural feature of the Stieng ethnic group in Binh Phuoc . However, brocade weaving is currently facing the risk of extinction. In order to preserve the traditional craft of the ethnic group, many Stieng women have not been afraid of difficulties, finding ways to maintain and promote brocade weaving, with the desire to pass it on to future generations to be proud of their ethnic cultural identity.

According to Ms. Thi Hanh, a resident of Bung Se Hamlet, Tan Thanh Commune, Dong Xoai City, the brocade weaving profession of the Stieng women here has been "absent" for decades. In the past, she also knew how to weave, and sometimes when she missed the profession, she still took out her loom to weave. But in recent years, she has not woven anymore because her eyesight is dim, sitting too much causes back pain, and her children and grandchildren are not interested in the traditional profession. Currently, she keeps the loom as a souvenir of her life.

Cultural Assimilation

In the past, Stieng women in hamlets and villages throughout the province knew how to weave brocade, but today, only a few Stieng women still maintain this job. Partly because in the past, the life of the Stieng people was mainly self-sufficient, so the weaving profession developed, but today, the market has many cheaper industrial brocade products, so traditional woven brocade is difficult to compete. Partly because the costumes of Stieng women have changed a lot, most young people are no longer interested in traditional costumes, but dress almost like Kinh people, so brocades only rarely appear in traditional festivals.

The brocade costumes of Quang Minh Commune Brocade Weaving Association were praised by many people and they tried them on the first time they saw them.

In the past, the Stieng people often used brocade fabrics to make daily clothes, to beautify themselves, and to give to their children and grandchildren on important occasions in the family and community. But today, due to changing social needs, very few families use brocade fabrics for the above purposes, so brocade products are no longer the same as before. Ms. Drenh Thi Hanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Minh Commune, Chon Thanh Town, said that the brocade weaving profession of the Stieng people in the commune has been lost because the weaving and finishing process requires a lot of time and effort, but currently brocade products have not really become commodities. The products made do not have a stable market, and the brocade weavers still do not have income from the profession, so the ability to spread, maintain and pass on to the next generation is gradually being narrowed.

Brocade Ao Dai worn by Ms. Drênh Thi Hanh, Vice Chairman of Quang Minh Commune People's Committee, when participating in important events.

Innovative brocade costumes of the Brocade Weaving Association of Quang Minh Commune, Chon Thanh Town are loved by tourists.

In addition, the reason why the brocade weaving profession of the Stieng people gradually disappears over time is also due to the process of cohabitation that has been causing contact, exchange and cultural adaptation between the Stieng community and other ethnic communities. Therefore, many traditional cultural elements of the Stieng people are changing and fading away, including the traditional brocade weaving profession. Currently, the work of preserving and promoting the brocade weaving profession of the Stieng people in Binh Phuoc is carried out on the basis of self-awareness of each person. However, for many generations, the Stieng community in Binh Phuoc has preserved and passed on the brocade weaving profession in the form of teaching within the family or within the community where they live. The risk of the traditional brocade weaving profession being lost is increasing as many young people are no longer interested in wearing traditional costumes in their daily lives and no longer want to learn weaving.

Brocade is chosen by young people as wedding costumes.

Brocade is sewn into dresses for performing arts at the Pha Bau festival in Quang Minh commune.

Efforts to maintain

Faced with this situation, local authorities in some communes of Bu Dang, Bu Gia Map, Hon Quan and Phu Rieng districts have recently established teams and groups to teach and practice brocade weaving. However, this work has only contributed to maintaining the brocade weaving profession, and there are no effective solutions to preserve and promote this cultural heritage.

To weave a brocade fabric, it must go through many stages. If the raw materials are made from forest trees, the outer bark of the tree must be removed, stripped into small fibers, and spun into weaving threads. If made from cotton, the cotton must be grown, harvested, spun, and dyed before weaving. To have the colors to create patterns, the Stieng people use natural materials to dye the weaving threads. To create sophisticated, unique patterns, the weavers must have a knack for drawing, an aesthetic sense, and an understanding of lines, colors, and shapes. Nowadays, the patterns on brocade fabrics are also created by some Stieng women, supplemented to suit modern life and consumer tastes.

Ms. Thi Phuong, Head of the Quang Minh Commune Brocade Weaving Association, Chon Thanh Town, said: Currently, the association members buy industrial threads of many different colors for replacement. Maintaining this profession is mainly to preserve and protect so that descendants remember the cultural origin of their ethnic group. Therefore, the brocade weaving profession is no longer as popular as before, but only exists in some places such as Bu Gia Map district (Dak O commune), Bu Dang district (communes: Binh Minh, Bom Bo, Tho Son, Thong Nhat), Hon Quan district (Thanh An commune), Chon Thanh town (Quang Minh commune) ...

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