Young H'Mông girl preserves traditional craft.

Amidst the lush green mountains of Pà Cò (Phú Thọ province), young H'Mông woman Hàng Y Cô persistently continues the tradition of linen weaving and beeswax painting day after day.

Y Cô (far left) at her H'Mông brocade stall.

With skillful hands, a keen sense of aesthetics, and a proactive approach to market research, Hang Y Co not only preserves her craft but also contributes to creating livelihoods for women in the village, integrating traditional crafts into the local community tourism development.

Pà Cò commune is nestled amidst rocky mountains, shrouded in mist year-round, with over 90% of its population being H'Mông ethnic people. In the memories of many generations, the green flax fields and the rhythmic clatter of looms in each house were once familiar images.

But as ready-made clothing and industrial fabrics became increasingly popular and widely available in markets, the traditional craft of growing flax and weaving brocade gradually declined.

Many women know the craft, but they can no longer do much of it because the work is arduous and the income is unstable. Although the patterns and colors of H'Mong Pa Co brocade are vibrant and contain deep cultural and spiritual values, the designs are simple and have little practical application in daily life.

Born in 1995, Hang Y Co grew up in Pa Co 1 hamlet amidst that context. Her childhood was filled with days spent following her mother to the fields, sitting with her grandmother at the loom, familiar with the strong scent of indigo dye, and with linen fabrics drying in front of the house.

At the age of 12, she began learning the basics of beeswax drawing from her mother's hands. From simple straight lines and rhombuses, she gradually became familiar with more complex patterns that required patience and precision.

In the meticulous process of H'Mông linen weaving, from growing flax, spinning yarn, weaving raw fabric, dyeing with indigo multiple times, drying and processing the fabric, drawing with beeswax, embroidering patterns, and finally cutting and sewing... drawing with beeswax is Y Cô's favorite step. "There, I'm free to be creative, to draw whatever I think, whatever I see," Y Cô shared.

Traditional motifs are retained as a backdrop, but not framed. From the surrounding landscape, trees, people, and the rhythm of village life, Y Cô has incorporated fresh images into her fabric paintings, creating a softer composition that is more familiar and relatable to customer tastes.

Realizing that focusing solely on traditional clothing would make it difficult to expand the market, she proactively diversified her product range to include items such as jackets, dresses, handbags, coasters, jewelry, rugs, and wall art, catering to everyday needs.

The main colors are still created entirely from natural materials such as indigo, yam, turmeric, etc., preserving the spirit of craftsmanship and folk knowledge, but the designs and sizes are adjusted flexibly.

She consults social media trends and listens to customer feedback to adapt her products to modern life.

Y Cô's journey in the profession is also closely linked to the women's community in the village. She, along with her sisters Hàng Y Xúa, Hàng Y Lang, Giàng Y Hoa, and the mothers Sùng Y Nhừ and Sùng Y Khô, share the work from production to consumption.

These Hmong women are both fellow workers and sources of emotional support, keeping the looms running smoothly amidst the challenges facing this traditional craft. Their products are sold through Facebook, at the Pà Cò market, and through local tourism experiences.

Since 2018, community-based tourism has developed in several hamlets of Pà Cò commune, making it an attractive destination in the northern mountainous region. Y Cô's family is one of the households participating in the homestay model. The accommodation space is connected with hands-on craft experiences, where tourists not only buy products but also directly participate in the weaving, dyeing, and painting processes.

Currently, in Pà Cò commune, a traditional brocade weaving village and several other craft groups have been established; there are also several points of display and introduction of brocade souvenirs made by the artisans themselves, with 100% handcrafted products.

Besides participating in local activities such as the Lunar New Year and the Peach Blossom Festival, Y Cô also takes part in the project "Indigo Colors - A Journey to Spread the Beauty of Indigo Dyeing Art," initiated by a group of students from the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

These opportunities for interaction have given the young woman more chances to bring the traditional crafts of her hometown beyond the confines of her village; at the same time, she has learned how to tell cultural stories in a language that is accessible to young people and tourists.

In reality, the H'Mông people's linen weaving and beeswax painting crafts require significant effort and possess high cultural and artistic value, but their economic value is not commensurate. In this context, combining the preservation of core techniques with the creation of new products, linking the craft with experiential tourism, and gradually organizing production into groups—opening up a more sustainable path for traditional crafts in Pà Cò for the younger generation like Y Cô—is of great importance.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, where many beautiful cultural traditions face the risk of fading away, the image of young people like Hang Y Co diligently working with linen fabric, meticulously applying beeswax, shows that culture will not disappear on its own if there are passionate people who know how to revitalize it.

From the indigo-dyed fabrics of Pà Cò, a story of labor, creativity, and community bonding is being continued, quietly but persistently, like the indigo color that has permeated generations of H'Mông people.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/co-gai-tre-hmong-giu-nghe-truyen-thong-post936351.html