Art from the hands

Nestled in the mountainous region of Trai Cau, the Red Dao people of Mo Sat village still preserve their traditional embroidery craft – a cultural symbol of their community. With skillful hands and a love for her ethnic group's traditional clothing, Ms. Trieu Thi Thoa is contributing to bringing the embroidery art of the Red Dao people further, touching the hearts of tourists both domestically and internationally.

Preserving the traditional costumes of the Dao Tien ethnic group in Ban Bung.

Red Dao women in Mo Sat village embroider their traditional costumes – a cultural beauty preserved through generations.

National pride

Born and raised in Mo Sat village, Trai Cau commune, Trieu Thi Thoa, a typical Red Dao woman, watched her mother's nimble hands at the loom from a young age. Whenever she saw her mother threading the needle and pulling the thread, and the square, diamond, and leaf patterns gradually appearing, she would gaze in fascination. "Back then, I simply thought my mother was embroidering to make things beautiful, but the older I got, the more I understood that each pattern was a story, a memory, and the soul of the Dao people," Thoa shared.

The traditional embroidery craft of the Dao Mo Sat people is not just a skill, but a cultural symbol imbued with profound spiritual meaning. The fabric used for embroidery is woven from cotton, dyed with forest leaves, and then hand-embroidered with colorful threads. Each detail carries its own message: red symbolizes good fortune and enduring vitality; black represents Mother Earth and steadfastness; and the embroidered images of mountains and streams represent the connection between humans and nature.

Ms. Trieu Thi Thoa (center) introduces the traditional embroidery technique to tourists.

Ms. Thoa said that traditional Red Dao women must hand-embroider their wedding attire before getting married. This outfit is cherished for life, reflecting their diligence, skill, and national pride. The attire is not just for wearing; it represents their dedication, their aspirations for happiness and peace.

Driven by that same passion, Ms. Trieu Thi Thoa has become one of the exemplary practitioners of the craft in Mo Sat village. She regularly holds free workshops for Dao girls in the village, teaching them how to embroider patterns, mix colors, and choose fabrics. For her, every stitch is a "cultural lesson" that helps the younger generation understand and appreciate the heritage of their ancestors.

International tourists experience embroidery.

Not content with simply preserving their craft, Dao Mo Sat women are also finding ways to transform traditional embroidery into an economic development path. From traditional clothing, they create additional products for everyday life such as scarves, bags, wallets, and modernized short tops… which both reflect the unique culture of the Dao people and suit modern tastes.

Mr. Ban Sinh Thang, an official from Trai Cau commune, said: "The sewing and embroidery craft of the Dao Mo Sat people requires meticulousness and finesse. The women not only preserve the craft but also promote and encourage each other to conserve and develop traditional cultural values. Many women have formed groups and small-scale production models to support each other in developing the economy, increasing income, and promoting ethnic culture to domestic and international tourists."

Ms. Le Quynh enjoyed the experience of wearing the traditional costume of the Red Dao people with Ms. Trieu Thi Thoa.

Thanks to this collective effort, the hand-embroidered products of Ms. Thoa and her fellow women have been featured at many cultural fairs in the province, loved by tourists for their sophistication, uniqueness, and authentic handcrafted quality. Notably, recently, many foreign tourists have come to Mo Sat to learn about and experience the traditional embroidery craft of the Dao people. Among them is Ms. Le Quynh, a Chinese woman living in Thai Nguyen, who is very fond of the culture of Vietnam's ethnic minorities.

During her visit to Trai Cau, Ms. Quynh had the opportunity to meet Ms. Trieu Thi Thoa and experience firsthand the traditional embroidery art of the Red Dao people there. Under Ms. Thoa's guidance, Ms. Quynh practiced embroidering a small red flower motif on indigo-dyed fabric.

Ms. Le Quynh shared: "I had heard of traditional embroidery from the Han and Miao people in China, but when I came here, I was truly surprised. Each pattern on the Dao people's clothing has a deep meaning, and the color combinations are very subtle. I felt the love for their homeland, the patience, and the national pride in every stitch and thread. I understand why each Dao costume is so precious."

After the experience, Ms. Le Quynh also ordered a Red Dao costume to bring back as a souvenir and share this cultural story with her friends in China.

Today, as modern life brings many changes, many traditional values ​​are gradually being forgotten. But in Mo Sat village, Dao women like Ms. Thoa still persevere in preserving their craft, considering it a way to maintain the soul of their ethnic group. During festivals and New Year celebrations, the entire village is ablaze with the red of traditional costumes. The Páo Dung songs echo through the mountains and forests, blending with the lively laughter and chatter of the women as they embroider and recount old stories.

In recent years, local authorities have collaborated with the cultural sector to organize numerous programs promoting and introducing the embroidery art of the Dao ethnic group to tourists. Mo Sat village has been chosen as a community tourism experience destination, where visitors can learn sewing and embroidery and listen to cultural stories from the local people. The image of Dao women diligently embroidering has become a beautiful symbol, associated with the spirit of hard work, creativity, and preservation of ethnic culture.

Thanks to the skillful hands of Ms. Trieu Thi Thoa and other Dao Mo Sat women, the traditional embroidery art is being revived, becoming a "connecting thread" between the past and the present, between the villagers and visitors from all over the world. Each product not only possesses aesthetic value but also embodies history, culture, and love for their homeland.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202511/nghe-thuat-tu-doi-tay-9684c15/