Reviving the Co Tu brocade in Hoa Bac

After a long period of seemingly "dormant" in the highland villages, the brocade of the Co Tu people in the upstream area of ​​the Cu De River has been revived by the skillful hands of women in Ta Lang - Gian Bi, Hoa Bac commune, Hoa Vang district, Da Nang city, bringing income to the people and preserving the cultural beauty for future generations.

Recreating the traditional brocade colors

Visiting Ta Lang and Gian Bi today, tourists will encounter the familiar sight of the Co Tu women's association diligently weaving brocade while chatting lively in the village's communal house. Ms. Dinh Thi Tin, a member of the brocade weaving association, said that there was a time when no one in either Ta Lang or Gian Bi knew how to weave brocade. Seeing their Co Tu people in Dong Giang, Tay Giang (Quang Nam) or Nam Dong (Thua Thien Hue ) showcasing and wearing such beautiful brocade, and realizing that no women in Hoa Bac commune knew how to weave, the women also wished to learn to weave so they could make brocade for themselves.

The opportunity arose in 2018 when Hoa Vang district invited brocade weaving artisans from the mountainous districts of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces to teach weaving to women in Hoa Bac. More than 40 women from the two villages of Ta Lang and Gian Bi eagerly attended the class, and the more they learned, the more they loved their ethnic group's traditional weaving craft. After being taught every stitch, every pattern, and every technique of braiding and spinning yarn, the brocade fabrics with their delicate patterns were successively produced.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, Head of the Women's Association in Ta Lang village and Head of the Brocade Weaving Cooperative, shared that despite many difficulties, the restoration and development of the traditional weaving craft of the Co Tu people in Hoa Bac is still being resolutely pursued by the government and the people, because it is the cultural identity and pride of the Co Tu people.

Katu women weave brocade to support tourism development.

The Story of Colors

Recently, Hoa Bac commune has been actively promoting community-based ecotourism. The Da Nang city government has implemented numerous policies and projects to support the Co Tu ethnic minority in preserving, conserving, and promoting their traditional brocade weaving craft. This provides an opportunity for the Co Tu people to showcase, demonstrate, and promote their brocade weaving skills for tourism. Through this, the people can both increase their income, improve their lives, and preserve their traditional craft.

Ms. Dinh Thi Tin shared that to create beautiful and diverse brocade products, the women must be truly persistent and creative. The patterns are creatively designed according to the weaver's imagination, but all revolve around themes of flowers, plants, and familiar symbols associated with the lives of the people. Therefore, each woven product is a work of art imbued with the soul, talent, aesthetic sense, intelligence, creativity, and work ethic of the women, creating the special value of brocade. In addition to brocade dresses and blouses, the women also weave brocade fabric to create many other diverse products such as scarves, handbags, wallets, souvenirs, etc.

Tourists learn about the Co Tu brocade weaving process in Hoa Bac.

As community-based ecotourism develops, more domestic and international tourists are flocking to Hoa Bac. Many domestic and international visitors are fascinated by the opportunity to experience firsthand the various stages of brocade weaving by the Co Tu people, such as thread preparation, stenciling, yarn pulling, and weaving. The nimble hands and explanations about the different patterns on the products offer visitors a fascinating and engaging experience.

Currently, the Ta Lang - Gian Bi Women's Brocade Weaving Cooperative has 20 members, operating on a household scale. Brocade weaving provides each woman with an average income of 3.5 million to 4 million VND per month. This is a tourism-related economic model that is being encouraged and supported by various levels of government and relevant agencies for ethnic minority communities.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tan, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City government has developed a project to preserve and promote the culture of the Co Tu ethnic group for the period 2022-2030 with a budget of over 31.3 billion VND. The project aims to preserve the traditional culture of ethnic minorities, including the Co Tu brocade weaving craft in Hoa Bac commune, create momentum for cultural development linked to tourism, alleviate poverty; build a healthy cultural life and environment; eliminate outdated customs, diversify cultural life; and strengthen national unity.

Tieu Dao (Ethnic Groups and Development Newspaper)

Source: https://baophutho.vn/hoi-sinh-tho-cam-co-tu-o-hoa-bac-221434.htm