Dao people in Cam Thach commune in traditional costumes.
To learn about the traditional clothing of the Dao people, we visited Mrs. Trieu Thi Hop, who has dedicated her life to the embroidery culture of the Dao people. With meticulous hands, she embroidered flower petals to decorate the dress, adding vibrancy to it. Mrs. Hop shared: "For the Dao people, traditional clothing is always a cultural highlight, vividly reflecting their lives. Therefore, preserving the embroidery craft and wearing traditional clothing during holidays, festivals, or local events is still maintained by the Dao people here as a habit. The clothing of Dao women is quite rich and diverse, from hats, scarves, shirts, aprons, skirts, pants, leggings, and belts, in familiar indigo and black colors." The patterns on the clothing are also diverse and rich, featuring motifs such as plants, flowers, and animals. To make the outfits more vibrant and unique, Dao women often wear additional jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, and rings made of silver or alloy.
For men, the attire is quite simple yet exudes a unique and refined elegance. Men typically wear short-sleeved shirts with a standing collar, brass buttons, and horizontal red fabric buttonholes. Their trousers are long, straight-legged, and indigo-colored, complementing the streamlined shirt. A matching indigo headscarf is worn, creating a neat and dignified appearance that emphasizes the man's serious and respectable demeanor.
According to Ms. Hop, many women in the village still preserve the art of embroidery. According to ancient customs, Dao girls must learn embroidery and sewing before marriage to create their own wedding attire and to make many embroidered outfits as gifts for their mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. Therefore, most Dao women, from young to old, must know how to embroider and sew. Because of this, in their free time, Dao women here take advantage of the opportunity to embroider and sew. Not only do they sew and embroider traditional clothing themselves, but Dao women also actively teach their children and grandchildren to preserve the traditional cultural identity of their ethnic group.
Leaving Mrs. Hop's house, we met and spoke with Mr. Ban Van Bao, the head of Binh Yen village, to learn about the Coming-of-Age Ceremony – one of the most important rituals in the life of a Dao man. Mr. Bao said: The Coming-of-Age Ceremony is one of the most distinctive cultural features, deeply rooted in the folk festival traditions of the Dao community here. This is a custom that all Dao men must undergo, because only after being granted this title are they officially recognized by their ancestors and deities as adults, having the right to participate in religious ceremonies and the right to take on responsibilities before their clan and community. The Coming-of-Age Ceremony is usually held in winter and at the beginning of the new year. During the ceremony, the shaman performs rituals, which include many teachings about traditions, customs, moral principles, and how to treat others to strive for goodness and avoid evil. Besides the rituals, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony also features various forms of folk art, music , dance (bell dance, ritual dance), and literature (songs, prayers)... These forms blend together to create a unique cultural and religious space, reflecting the history, culture, and spiritual life of the Dao people. Because of these distinctive cultural features, the Dao people here have preserved the Coming-of-Age Ceremony as a treasure for generations.
Besides Binh Yen village, Thach An village also has a large population of Dao ethnic people. To preserve the cultural beauty of the Dao people, since 2022, the villagers have established a club for preserving Dao folk songs and dances, attracting 21 members. Since its establishment, most members of the club have actively participated in practicing Dao folk songs and dances; at the same time, they have actively collected and composed new folk melodies, and actively participated in performances, festivals, and cultural and artistic events. This has not only enriched their spiritual and cultural lives but also preserved the traditional cultural beauty of their ethnic group.
Throughout their lives and productive labor, the Dao ethnic people have developed many long-standing customs and traditions rich in identity, contributing alongside other ethnic groups in Cam Thach commune to enrich the diverse cultural heritage. Therefore, to continue preserving and promoting the cultural identity of the Dao people, Cam Thach commune has actively promoted the preservation of traditional customs and practices among the Dao people; encouraged and facilitated their active participation in cultural preservation linked to community tourism development; restored unique intangible cultural forms of the Dao people that are at risk of disappearing; and actively incorporated the cultural values of the Dao people into school curricula to create a successor generation to preserve the traditional identity of their ethnic group.
Text and photos: Nguyen Dat
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/giu-gin-net-van-hoa-nguoi-dao-271052.htm
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