Bringing the colors of Pu Péo to the Congress

“I want to wear my ethnic costume on important occasions,” Cung Thi Men said, gently adjusting her headscarf. After attending the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi, the Pu Peo girl, born in 2001, returned to Chung Trai village, Pho Bang commune. In Men's luggage was the carefully folded costume that had accompanied her into the Congress hall, carrying the unique indigo color of the Pu Peo people from the rocky border region.

Cung Thi Men (top row, third from the left) poses for a commemorative photo with delegates at the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi .

Mến was born and raised in a five-room, traditional house with a yin-yang tiled roof, nestled at the foot of a mountain in Chúng Trải village. As the youngest daughter, Mến received love and protection from her grandmother and parents from a young age. Her childhood was intertwined with the Pu Péo language in everyday conversations, from the advice of elders to stories about home and village life. Thus, the language and way of life of her ethnic group became an integral part of Mến's being.

From a young age, Mến was familiar with the image of her grandmother and mother sitting and sewing dresses and blouses in their traditional earthen house. On a dark indigo background, pieces of colored fabric were pieced together with tiny, meticulous, and patient stitches. Some outfits took months to complete. Mến shared: "I have several Pu Péo outfits at home, but for this trip to Hanoi, I chose to wear the one my mother made herself." For her, it wasn't just the most beautiful outfit, but also contained her mother's love and childhood memories in every stitch and fold of fabric.

Cung Thi Men listened as an elderly villager introduced her to traditional clothing.

As a child, Mến only saw the Pu Péo traditional clothing as beautiful and carefully preserved by the adults. As she grew older, she understood why her father often reminded his children and grandchildren that preserving their language and traditional clothing meant preserving their ethnic heritage.

Since her school years, Mến has actively participated in activities preserving ethnic culture at school. During the period from 2019 to 2023, while studying at the Vietnam Youth Academy, Mến had more opportunities to participate in movements, meet friends from many regions, and better understand the cultural values ​​of her homeland. Returning to her hometown, Mến continued to be involved in activities in Chúng Trải village. During holidays, festivals, or village celebrations, she often invites young people to wear traditional ethnic costumes and practice dancing and singing together, so that the language, dances, and colors of the Pu Péo ethnic group's clothing can be preserved in community life.

Upon learning that she had been selected again as a representative of the province to attend the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi, following her participation in the 10th Congress in 2024, Mến immediately thought of the Pu Péo traditional costume. The trip from Chúng Trải to the capital was not only a long journey, but also an opportunity for her to bring the traditional costume of her ethnic group to a major national event.

Before her departure, Mến unfolded the outfit her mother had sewn, checking every small detail. She folded the headscarf separately, adjusted the silver coins on her dress, and smoothed out any wrinkles. Everything was meticulously prepared, as if, along with that outfit, Mến was carrying her home, her village, and a part of Chúng Trải with her to Hanoi.

Cung Thi Men in traditional Pu Peo ethnic costume while attending the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi.

During the Congress, amidst the colorful costumes of many ethnic groups, Mến's Pu Péo outfit still stood out with its distinctive features. The headscarf, the colorful fabric strips, and the rows of small silver coins on her dress highlighted the image of the girl from Chúng Trải village. In Hanoi, Mến not only attended an important event but also had the opportunity to introduce to everyone the clothing, language, and way of life of her ethnic group.

For Mến, the photos taken at the Congress, especially the moments captured with central and Tuyên Quang provincial leaders, are not only special memories of the trip. They are also a source of pride that the Pu Péo people were present at a major national event.

After her trip to Hanoi, Mến became even more proud of her ethnic costume. Every colorful strip of fabric, every headscarf, and every small silver coin not only created the unique beauty of the Pu Péo people, but also reminded her to love even more the language, customs, and traditional culture that had nurtured her since her village of Chúng Trải.

Text and photos: Canh Truc

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/du-lich/202605/mang-sac-ao-pu-peo-den-dai-hoi-ca462ed/