The keeper of the Dao ethnic group's embroidery craft.

In the Dao Thanh Phan community, preserving and passing on the traditional embroidery craft is a shared responsibility of many generations of women. These older women, with their deep understanding of the patterns and motifs of their ethnic group's embroidery, play a core role in teaching their skills to their descendants. Among them, Mrs. Trieu Thi Tuyet, from Tan Lap village, Quang La commune, is a symbol of the efforts to preserve the traditional brocade embroidery craft of the Dao Thanh Phan ethnic group. She has dedicated her life to the craft, meticulously working with every stitch and every piece of brocade fabric, hoping to preserve and pass on the embroidery techniques to the younger generation, contributing to the preservation of cultural identity amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life.

The embroidery class for the Dao Thanh Phan Ethnic Culture Preservation Club is taught by Ms. Trieu Thi Tuyet.

Speaking of Ms. Trieu Thi Tuyet from Tan Lap village, Quang La commune, the head of the Thanh Phan Dao ethnic group's cultural preservation club, Ban Thi Yen, happily shared: "Thanks to dedicated people like Ms. Tuyet who love the craft of brocade embroidery, the traditional costumes of the Thanh Phan Dao people are still preserved and developed today. Ms. Tuyet is currently teaching at the Thanh Phan Dao ethnic group's cultural preservation club in Quang La commune. The club aims to preserve and develop traditional culture, create a learning and living environment for its members, and spread cultural identity to the community and tourists."

At the embroidery class of the club, everyone is familiar with the sight of Ms. Trieu Thi Tuyet carefully guiding students through each stitch and explaining the unique meaning of each pattern and motif on the traditional clothing of the Dao Thanh Phan ethnic group. The traditional clothing of Dao women includes trousers, a shirt, a headscarf, and other accessories. The shirt is the most important and elaborate part of the outfit, embroidered with five basic colors: red, blue, white, yellow, and black; with red being the dominant color. According to the Dao people's belief, red brings good luck, happiness, abundance, and positive energy.

Ms. Tuyet meticulously teaches each stitch and thread to the students participating in the club's embroidery class.

In Ms. Tuyet's memory, embroidery came to her through passion and a sense of responsibility as a member of her ethnic group wanting to preserve the traditional culture of her people. From a young age, Tuyet loved the vibrant, colorful brocade fabrics that her grandmother embroidered.

“Since I was 12 years old, I watched my grandmother embroider every stitch, every pattern on the garments. She taught me and reminded me that embroidery holds profound meanings about the spiritual life and identity of the Dao Thanh Phan ethnic group. Those were also my first lessons when I started embroidering. I have many memories related to the craft, but perhaps the most memorable was having to learn and practice repeatedly before I could embroider the marigold flower pattern. In the early days, it took me years to complete a single garment. These experiences helped me cultivate perseverance and a love for the embroidery craft of my Dao Thanh Phan people. Later, after getting married, despite my busy life, I still dedicate time to needles, threads, and brocade fabrics,” Mrs. Tuyet recounted with emotion and pride.

After nearly 40 years dedicated to embroidery, Ms. Tuyet has amassed an invaluable asset: her experience and traditional embroidery techniques. She is highly respected and sought after by many to learn the craft.

Trieu Quy Hai, a student in class 8A at Tan Dan Primary and Secondary School in Quang La commune, shared: "I am very proud to be learning embroidery from the Dao Thanh Phan people – a rich and refined cultural tradition of our ethnic group. I was meticulously guided by Ms. Tuyet, who has been involved in this craft for many years. Through this, I have come to appreciate perseverance even more and learned many valuable things. I hope to continue studying and practicing to carry on the tradition, preserve, develop, and spread the embroidery craft more widely."

The patterns and motifs on the traditional clothing of the Dao Thanh Phan ethnic group are an important part of it.

With the changing socio -economic conditions, some traditional crafts in the community are tending to disappear, so teaching children how to embroider patterns on traditional clothing from a young age is extremely meaningful. Ms. Tuyet shared: "According to the beliefs of the Dao Thanh Phan people, hand-embroidering clothing is an important part of our cultural identity. Each ethnic group has its own cultural features and clothing, like a language that speaks to the unique characteristics of its people. I myself have been taught every stitch by the older generation, reminding us that embroidery is also a way for our people to remember their roots and ancestors. I, like many other Dao Thanh Phan women, want to pass on the embroidery techniques to preserve our cultural identity. If the embroidery craft passed down from our ancestors is lost, we will lose our identity and our roots." Furthermore, I hope that through the younger generation learning embroidery and creating products, they can promote and introduce the traditional costumes of the Dao Thanh Phan people to friends and tourists, helping those who learn embroidery to earn additional income.

Today, many Dao ethnic women are continuing the tradition of their predecessors, teaching the younger generation the techniques of brocade embroidery. They not only create traditional embroidered art products but also contribute to keeping the flame of passion for embroidery alive among the Dao Thanh Phan ethnic group.

Dinh Hang

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/nguoi-giu-lua-nghe-theu-cua-dan-toc-dao-thanh-phan-3387492.html