Weaving brocade in the middle of the vast forest.

QTO - There were days when I wandered with the late autumn wind blowing endlessly through the mountains and forests of the border region. Along the road that seemed to flow in the April sun, the white tung blossoms began to bloom profusely across the hillsides, fields, or shyly nestled beside the eaves of the stilt houses of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko people. The pristine white tung blossoms emitted an intoxicating fragrance, inviting Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko boys and girls, dressed in their colorful brocade, to meet by the stream or in the fields. The flowers evoked a flash of light in the minds of many artisans, bringing back memories of the ups and downs of brocade weaving, a story as vast as the Truong Son mountain range, sheltering the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko people.

Standing beneath the canopy of white and pink blossoms of the Trầu tree, resembling pink and white clouds drifting from the distant mountain peaks, resting on the gnarled, rough trunks of the Trường Sơn mountains, the artisan carrying a basket of brocade fabrics to the Khe Sanh market, rambling on about how, in the days when the Bru-Vân Kiều people stopped their migrations after countless seasons of farming to establish villages, the clacking and clicking of looms weaving brocade fabrics filled the air.

Looking through the window of the stilt house, one can see the Bru-Van Kieu people, old and young alike, engrossed in weaving silk and threads, creating beautiful brocade fabrics that resemble the colors of mountain flowers. During festivals such as the rice planting ceremony, the inauguration ceremony, the rice sharing ceremony, the new rice eating ceremony, the granary opening ceremony, etc., the brocade fabrics take center stage as young men and women sing and dance in their brocade costumes.

The elderly use brocade cloth to wrap around their bodies; middle-aged people use shirts and trousers for convenience when working in the fields; young men use loincloths to show off their muscles, demonstrating the bravery and courage of the children of the mountains and forests. Women, on the other hand, use blouses and skirts. To weave shirts, trousers, loincloths, and skirts, the Bru-Van Kieu people carry baskets deep into the forest to find forest trees to spin yarn and weave cloth. The woven cloth is white, so they continue to go into the forest to find leaves and roots to mix and dye with the main colors being black and red.

Through countless farming seasons, the modern, dynamic pace of life has gradually knocked on the doors of many stilt houses in the villages of the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic minority. The elderly in these villages still cherish their ethnic cultural identity and continue to wear traditional brocade clothing, but the younger generation, with their dynamic lifestyles, are no longer interested in brocade… This is why many brocade looms have been covered in dust over time.

Artisan Ho Van Hoi teaches the art of brocade weaving to young people of the Pa Ko ethnic group in La Lay commune - Photo: SH

During my wanderings in the border region, I met artisan Ho Van Hoi in Pa Nho village, Khe Sanh commune. Artisan Ho Van Hoi shared: Faced with the decline and disappearance of the traditional brocade weaving craft over time, he decided to seek out the villages of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko people to meet artisans and learn the craft. The first garment he made himself took several weeks to complete.

By now, his reputation for brocade weaving has spread to many villages of the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic minorities. However, artisan Ho Van Hoi is never satisfied with his achievements.

In 2020, upon learning that Ms. Doan Thi Nga, a knowledgeable expert in the traditional brocade weaving of the Pa Ko people living in Cu Tai 2 village, A Bung commune (now La Lay commune), was teaching brocade weaving in A Bung commune, artisan Ho Van Hoi sought her out to learn the craft. According to him, the brocade of the Pa Ko ethnic group is distinct from that of the Bru-Van Kieu people, from the loom and weaving techniques to the patterns, motifs, and dominant colors.

After mastering the art of brocade weaving, artisan Ho Van Hoi devoted his heart and effort to researching and improving the brocade loom of the Pa Ko people. Following these improvements, the Pa Ko brocade loom became a vertical loom. This allowed for seated weaving, resulting in faster weaving, a wider variety of brocade products, sharper patterns and designs, and the ability to meet the needs of a wider range of users.

For the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups, musical instruments, folk songs, and brocade costumes are considered the soul of their culture, contributing to its unique characteristics that have been preserved, protected, and passed down through generations. Currently, artisans are quietly preserving this "soul" to continue teaching the art of brocade weaving to the younger generation. Then, during festivals, celebrations, or the season of white tung blossoms, the Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko people, young and old, men and women, don their brocade costumes and drift along to the melodies of folk songs amidst the mountains and mountain passes.

Sy Hoang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202604/det-tho-cam-giua-dai-ngan-67433e0/