When traditional profession becomes livelihood

Nam Po district leaders awarded the Certificate of Recognition from Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee recognizing the traditional craft of shoe embroidery and embroidery of Chinese ethnic costume patterns to the people of De Tinh 2 village, Phin Ho commune.

In Dien Bien province, the Xa Phang people live in villages, following their clans in the districts of Muong Cha, Nam Po, and Tua Chua. In the border district of Nam Po, the Xa Phang people account for more than 1.5% of the population, living concentrated in Phin Ho commune. They have many unique cultural features, of which shoe embroidery is closely associated with daily life and has been passed down through many generations.

Shoes in the Xa Phang language are called “lien hai” and are embroidered and sewn by women for family members. There are many types of shoes: men’s shoes, women’s shoes, shoes for the elderly or for the bride and groom on their wedding day. During the free time or on holidays, when they temporarily put aside their farming work, the Xa Phang women take the opportunity to bring out their tools and gather in groups to embroider patterns on their shoes. They still maintain the habit of making their own shoes and wearing them on all festivals, going to the market or during traditional ceremonies.

Ms. Ngai Mu Dinh is one of the most experienced people in shoe embroidery in De Tinh 2 village, Phin Ho commune. Shoe embroidery is not Ms. Dinh's main job to make a living, but she is very dedicated and passionate about the job. Ms. Dinh said: Ever since they were teenagers, Chinese girls have been guided by their grandmothers, mothers, and sisters in sewing, embroidering, making household items and personal clothing. To make a good pair of embroidered shoes, one must go through many steps: Prepare materials, choose the shoe style suitable for the user, cut and sew the shoe sole, create patterns and embroider patterns on the shoe body, sew the parts together to complete the shoe...

The main materials to make a pair of shoes include: Fabric, bamboo shoots, sewing thread, embroidery thread, glue, paper and tools (scissors, small knife, sewing needle, embroidery needle, dry beeswax, etc.). The fabric used to sew the sole and body of the shoe must be thick, tough, and durable (usually hand-woven fabric of the Thai people). Sewing thread is made from flax bark, a type of fiber that is firm, flexible, tough, and water-resistant. From the tree trunk that is cut, the Xa Phang people strip off the core, take the outer bark, pound it until it is crushed and soft, then put it in a pot of water to boil and dry. The thin fibers are torn into small pieces, connected together and braided into small threads that are wrapped around the spindle and can be used when necessary.

Nam Po district leaders visited and encouraged women of De Tinh 2 village to preserve and develop traditional crafts.

To keep the shoe-sewing thread smooth, shiny, unbroken and waterproof, the Xa Phang people often put the thread in a dry beeswax block before sewing the shoes. The shoe-sole glue is made from the root of a forest tree (the rust tree). The root of the rust tree is dug up, washed, peeled, the pulp is taken, crushed, mixed with water and all the coarse residue is filtered out, put in a pot to cook to create a thick paste like glue.

To make shoe soles, the craftsman takes old, dry bamboo shoots, dries them, flattens them, cuts them to the shape of the foot and sews them into shoe soles. Each shoe sole is usually made of about 5 layers of shoots, each layer is covered with a thick and tough fabric to create thickness, firmness and durability. The bottom of the shoe sole is lined with white fabric; the inside is lined with a layer of colored fabric depending on the craftsman's preference and is securely sewn to the shoe sole. Thanks to that, Xa Phang's embroidered shoes are durable and sturdy, and can be used for a long time.

For women's shoes, the shoe body is an arc-shaped piece of fabric attached around the sole, the entire shoe body is closed; the pattern is usually an embroidered large flower that stands out more than the surrounding flowers, creating the main highlight on the shoe body. Thus, the shoe body for women has the characteristics of a closed toe, compact, elegant, and discreet. For men's shoes, the shoe body is partially open in the front and on both sides, the heel and the back are connected, creating a strong, dynamic look, suitable for activities that show strength. The embroidered pattern is spread evenly across the body, with no main highlight. The main attraction on men's shoes is two different pattern panels, the body panel hugging the heel and the panel from the instep to the sides and to the tips of the toes.

Xa Phang women diligently embroider colorful traditional shoes.

Ly Si Tong, De Tinh 2 village, shared: “Since I was a child, my grandmothers and mothers taught me how to embroider and make complete shoes. I find our traditional ethnic shoes very beautiful, I really like them and try to learn to embroider well so that in the future we can pass on the cultural features of our ethnic group so that they do not fade away.”

With its typical value, the embroidered shoe-making craft of the Xa Phang people in Then Pa village, Sa Long commune and Huoi Leng village, Huoi Leng commune, Muong Cha district; De Tinh 2 village, Phin Ho commune, Nam Po district was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism according to Decision No. 829/QD-BVHTTDL dated March 9, 2021. Particularly in Nam Po district, the embroidery of patterns and the creation of colorful shoes of the Xa Phang people are still being practiced in many families. In De Tinh 2 village, there are 69 households (accounting for 46.38% of households in the village) participating in the traditional embroidery craft. In March 2024, the shoe embroidery and embroidery of ethnic costumes of Hoa ethnic group (Xa Phang) in De Tinh 2 village were recognized by the People's Committee of Dien Bien province and granted a Certificate of recognition of traditional occupations according to Decision No. 1898/QD-UBND dated November 23, 2023.

Mr. Quang Van Thanh, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nam Po district said: "The recognition of traditional occupations will contribute to the development of shoe embroidery and embroidery of ethnic costumes of the Hoa ethnic group (Xa Phang) as a brand. This is the basis for people to build and develop into a widespread commodity occupation, contributing to creating more jobs and increasing income for people."

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