Origins of Identity
For people in mountainous regions, precious brocade fabrics are usually kept at home. They only bring them out to "show off" during important festivals. They cherish their cultural identity with respect for each brocade loincloth and skirt.
After each festival, the brocade fabrics are washed, dried, and neatly arranged in jars, wooden cabinets, or stored in the compartments of the traditional basket.
The Co Tu people are very good at preserving their brocade fabrics. Even after a very long time, many of their garments—such as the sash, loincloth, and shawls—still retain the distinctive fragrance of each thread and yarn.
By chance, we heard Mr. Alang Phu (from Bhlo Ben village, Song Kon commune, Dong Giang district) tell the story of an ancient loincloth that his relatives had kept for over a hundred years.
This is a unique, almost one-of-a-kind loincloth of the Co Tu people, hand-woven entirely from beads of a type of forest tree.
Alang Phu said that this type of brocade is very rare because of its high value, and few people can weave it. In the traditional clothing culture of the Co Tu people, the loincloth (the kind reserved for men) held immense importance.
From loincloths made from tree bark, through a process of development, the Co Tu people have learned the techniques of hand weaving, creating the brocade products we see today.
The loincloth, passed down through generations along with their instructions, has been in Phu's possession for five generations. Phu says that the string of forest beads used to weave the loincloth he keeps is rarely seen anymore.
No one can be sure if that type of tree is "extinct," but the loincloth has become a unique item, a precious family heirloom. It is a source of pride for the Co Tu man and his family in the village, as they possess a family heirloom.
"In the past, only wealthy people could afford to buy or commission artisans to weave these unique brocade fabrics, making them very valuable wedding gifts..."
"Although the patterns aren't very colorful and the years have faded the color of the loincloth, it has been passed down through many generations, becoming a priceless family heirloom," Mr. Phu shared.
The other day, we joined the celebration of the new communal house (gươl) of the Cơ Tu people in Aró village (Lăng commune, Tây Giang district). The festivities began. The vast communal house grounds were covered with magnificent traditional costumes.
After a period of preparation, the communal festival attracted a large number of people from Aró village, from the elderly to the young. They came to the festival with all their faith in the community. Village elder Hôih Dzúc said that brocade is like a "highly prized possession" of the Cơ Tu community.
Therefore, only on important occasions do the people bring out precious, long-standing brocade fabrics. In the past, each such piece of brocade was worth as much as a dozen buffaloes, so the Co Tu people only used them as dowry gifts when their daughters got married.
"Brocade has become a treasure of the community; villages with many beautiful brocades also showcase the wealth and hard work of their people," shared elder Hoih Dzuc.
The scent of brocade
The vibrant colors of brocade fill the Aró village festival. Brocade adorns the dresses and blouses of young women and mothers. Young men wear brocade loincloths, showing off their sun-tanned bare backs. Children are also dressed in their finest brocade outfits by their parents. Upon entering the communal house (gươl), large brocade shawls are unfurled.
We saw joy on people's faces. Every step was a dance. They sang. The bare feet of the young women tapped to the rhythm of gongs and drums. The rich mountain atmosphere could be felt through sight, sound, and touch of the carefully crafted brocade fabrics. And through the scent too.
The smell of smoke from the kitchen, the aroma of earthenware jars, the scent of fermented rice wine. Sweet and intoxicating things, all wrapped up in a small space within the newly built village communal house, their fragrance carried on every breeze. The scent of brocade...
Fifteen years ago, while passing by a ceremony celebrating the new communal house of the Co Tu people in A Ting commune (Dong Giang district), we also stopped to participate in the festival.
The villagers stood in a large circle, preparing to sacrifice the buffalo, with the newly built communal house (gươl) behind them. The scene was beautiful for a traditional cultural activity, but it unintentionally left a vast, regrettable void: only a few elderly women in traditional attire were scattered around. Jeans and baggy shirts filled the entire communal house grounds...
Therefore, the Aró village festival serves as a sign that conservation efforts have, to some extent, impacted the most important and vulnerable groups: young people.
Young Co Tu people are no longer shy about wearing traditional clothing; instead, they feel proud. The photos shared on social media from Co Tu girls and boys during the festival serve as a signal of their love for their ethnic culture.
Just a few weeks ago, the Co Tu community in Dong Giang, Tay Giang, and Nam Giang shared a photo of Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy (the recently crowned Miss International 2024) wearing a Co Tu brocade dress in front of a traditional moong house in Bho Hong village. This is also a very optimistic sign, showing that young people from mountainous ethnic groups have begun to rediscover their identity and roots through brocade...
Mr. Ho Xuan Tinh, former Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who has spent many years researching and studying the culture of ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas of Quang Nam, shared that the appearance of brocade costumes in festivals, including theatrical performances, is not just for show.
It shows that the community has paid attention to and embraced traditional cultural values. The performers themselves also have a need to promote and showcase the beauty of their own ethnic culture.
As awareness of preserving traditional culture increases, the participation of young people will grow, and traditional costumes will have more opportunities to reach a wider audience. This pride in cultural identity will sustainably carry the invaluable heritage of the people of the Truong Son mountain range through generations and across lifetimes.
"Traditional brocade fabrics and jewelry of ethnic minorities not only play an important role in conservation and museum work, but also help the younger generation of these ethnic groups know that their ancestors used such clothing and jewelry in the past."
"Currently, young people are returning to wearing traditional clothing more often, with innovations to highlight the beauty of brocade. I've met many young people in the mountainous areas wearing vests, skirts, and ao dai made from brocade; they look beautiful and modern, but still retain the unique beauty of their ethnic group. The important thing is to preserve the roots, to maintain pride in the cultural identity and traditions of the ethnic group among the younger generation," said Mr. Ho Xuan Tinh.
We eagerly await many festivals where the people of the highlands can live in joy, in the games of their own villages, where the wind still carries the fragrance of the brocade fabrics...
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/gio-thom-mien-tho-cam-3145072.html
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