Preserving and spreading the traditional culture of the Hmong ethnic group.

For the past two years, every week, more than 60 students from Bac Ha Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School have gathered at their familiar meeting place, the "Mong Ethnic Brocade Embroidery and Beeswax Painting Club," to indulge their love and creativity in the traditional culture of the Mong ethnic group.

Vang Mai Linh, a student in class 8A, has been involved in the club's activities since its inception. As a member of the Hmong ethnic group, Linh has a special love for indigo dyes, beeswax painting, and vibrant brocade costumes.

Under the guidance of an artist and teacher, Vang Mai Linh (far right) and her classmates learn the technique of beeswax painting.

That love was nurtured over the years by the stories and dedicated guidance of her grandmother, mother, and teachers. Therefore, when the school established the club, Linh immediately registered to participate, hoping to have the opportunity to express her passion and desire to spread more of her nation's traditional cultural values.

Before each drawing session, club members usually prepare the necessary materials, such as: canvas, pure beeswax, crayons, and a stove to melt the wax.

Under the dedicated guidance of her mother, Ms. Hoang Thi Dung, a beeswax painting artist, Linh and her friends in the club skillfully used beeswax brushes to draw traditional patterns, while also adjusting and monitoring the temperature of the beeswax to ensure even and beautiful coloring after dyeing.

Vang Mai Linh shared: "We really enjoy traditional beeswax painting. It's not just a decorative technique, but also reflects the cultural identity, beliefs, and aesthetics of the Mong ethnic community. We hope these traditional products will be preserved and spread more widely in community life."

Drawing with beeswax requires skill and meticulousness.

While beeswax painting is a creation of the Hmong ethnic group that creates patterns using a color-blocking technique during dyeing, brocade embroidery is a technique that creates patterns using colored threads. This traditional craft is also being preserved and spread through the activities of the club.

Accordingly, before practicing embroidery, students are guided by artisans and teachers in the school to prepare linen fabric, colored threads, and embroidery needles, while also being taught techniques; mainly thread-thread embroidery, crochet embroidery, and appliqué embroidery combined with color matching.

The school's teachers instruct the students in the techniques of brocade embroidery.

Ms. Ly Thi Ganh, a teacher at Bac Ha Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School, said: "These are all difficult techniques, requiring students to be very meticulous and practice for a long time. The hand-embroidered patterns and motifs are entirely based on principles and experiences accumulated by the Mong ethnic people over generations. We also teach about the typical patterns of the Mong people, such as geometric shapes, flowers, and natural symbols with vibrant colors, so that the students can easily recognize and practice them."

Similar to beeswax painting, in addition to traditional patterns, children are also free to create new patterns that suit today's modern lifestyle.

In addition to traditional patterns, students are free to be creative according to their preferences.

At the "Hmong Ethnic Brocade Embroidery and Beeswax Weaving" Club, students participate in activities twice a week. The club has two teachers in charge, one of whom is an art teacher and the other is a Hmong ethnic teacher with extensive knowledge of their ethnic culture.

Under the guidance of their teachers, the students in the club are introduced to the meaning and techniques of brocade embroidery and beeswax painting. Through this, they satisfy their love for traditional culture and create additional works of art based on existing traditional materials and knowledge.

The patterns are hand-embroidered.

In order to preserve and sustainably spread the art of beeswax painting and brocade embroidery, the teachers and students of the school have also creatively developed a solution for digitizing and transferring beeswax painting and brocade embroidery techniques.

Teacher Vu Thi Huong Quynh from Bac Ha Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Secondary and High School) added: A highlight of recent club activities is the shift in focus from traditional oral communication methods to digitalization and experiential education models, such as: maintaining regular club activities; workshops with local artisans; creative competitions and costume shows; group learning-practice-product manufacturing processes…

Furthermore, drawing and embroidery techniques will be digitized and stored online. Based on the traditional brocade embroidery and beeswax painting techniques of the Hmong ethnic group, the products created by the students will not only be displayed in their homes and schools but will also be promoted and introduced in competitions and at tourist destinations. This will create opportunities for long-term preservation, widespread promotion, and the connection between education and culture.

Traditional embroidery and hand-painting techniques will be digitized and stored online.

The journey of preserving and spreading the traditional culture of ethnic groups, including the Hmong people, has been and is being carried out by Bac Ha Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School through meaningful activities. Through these efforts, students are helped to understand, appreciate, and be proud of their ethnic identity; to develop their character and morality; and to preserve and promote traditional culture for future generations.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/giu-gin-lan-toa-van-hoa-truyen-thong-dan-toc-mong-post889364.html