Ba Na brocade revived

After many struggles between loss and gain, now the sound of weaving shuttles resounds loudly under the stilt houses, carrying the aspiration to preserve the national identity and bring the village's products far and wide with the hands of the Ba Na people.

At the age of nearly 70, Ms. La O Thi Ngoc, one of the "weavers" who has been involved in the brocade weaving profession for many years in Xi Thoai village, still sits diligently at the loom every day, her hands moving quickly, weaving each line of the Ba Na's outstanding traditional patterns. Ms. Ngoc shared: "In the past, Ba Na girls when they reached marriageable age all knew how to weave. Brocade is not only clothing, but also the voice of their souls."

However, in the hustle and bustle of life, with many convenient, easy-to-make, easy-to-buy products, for a long time, the brocade weaving profession in Xi Thoai was at risk of fading away. “Back then, almost no one bought brocade. Weavers mainly used it for their own use and to preserve the tradition of the nation. I was afraid that one day the sound of the shuttle would no longer resonate,” Ms. Ngoc confided.

Ba Na women in Xi Thoai village (Xuan Lanh commune) weave brocade products.

To preserve the traditional craft, for over 40 years, since she was in her twenties, Ms. Ngoc has never stopped weaving. Every day, after finishing her field work, she sits at the weaving frame, weaving scarves and colorful ethnic patterned skirts. She is afraid that one day she will stop weaving, the craft village will lose a keeper of the fire, and so for dozens of farming seasons, Ms. Ngoc has been diligently keeping the fire burning for the craft village.

According to Mrs. Bui Thi Phung (71 years old), who has spent her whole life with the loom, from the time she began to perceive beauty, her mother taught her the craft of brocade weaving. When she was a girl, she wove her own favorite dresses to dress up. When she got married, she wove scarves and shirts for her husband and children, and now she and many other Ba Na women in Xi Thoai continue the mission of teaching weaving to young people in the village.

To preserve and maintain the traditional brocade weaving profession of the Ba Na people, since 2020, the local government here has established the Xi Thoai brocade weaving group with 16 women who love the profession participating. Every day, after finishing their household chores, the women sit at the weaving looms, with their children and grandchildren by their side. And the sound of the weaving shuttle echoes under the stilt houses, continuing to pass on the fire and preserve the traditional craft of the nation.

In 2023, with funding from the GSRD Fund (Netherlands), the Project to increase income and create jobs for disadvantaged women in ethnic minority areas was implemented. The women in the group were able to visit, learn from experience, and participate in training on the production of more popular brocade products such as handbags, keychains, bracelets, etc. in Da Nang City (formerly Quang Nam Province). After that meaningful trip, the brocade weaving profession in Xi Thoai opened a new direction.

Women in the craft village guide each other on how to post pictures, videos ... on fanpages to promote products on social networks.

Ms. La O Thi Tim, a weaver in the craft village, confided: In the past, we only specialized in weaving skirts, shirts, and scarves; but these products were not popular, only used during festivals, and the price was high, making it difficult to access the market. After receiving support from local authorities and functional agencies to study production methods and create products at the Co Tu brocade weaving villages (in Da Nang City), and being trained in how to connect to the market, promote products, etc., the women expanded their knowledge and began to change production, focusing on learning and making small, popular, and cheap products to make gifts and souvenirs for tourists .

The locality has established the Xi Thoai Village Community Tourism Cooperative Group, helping to connect the craft village to the tourism value chain, turning the craft village into a destination for cultural experiences, and expanding the consumer market. We hope that visitors will not only buy craft village products but also experience the process of creating brocade products. When they see and understand the story, the products will have more value.

Mr. Tran Quoc Huy , Party Secretary, Chairman of People's Council of Xuan Lanh commune

In addition, the women in the craft village are also supported by local officials, guided to set up fanpages, post images, videos... to promote products on social networking platforms. In June 2023, the women in the craft village received an order from Zannier Bai San Ho Hotel Co., Ltd. for 600 brocade products of all kinds. Opening up opportunities for the products of Xi Thoai brocade weaving village to reach beyond the village.

Ms. La O Thi Tim said: After this order, we continued to receive many orders from other units. Bracelets and handbags are very popular in the market. Since the products of the craft village were welcomed, the women began to earn income from the traditional profession. Although the income is still modest, it is still enough for us to live and stick with, and preserve the weaving profession of the nation.

Party cell secretary and Xi Thoai village head Le Van Khuong shared: In order for the traditional brocade weaving craft village not to be lost, the products of the craft village must retain their essence, patterns, materials, and techniques; and the designs and applications must be flexible and change according to the tastes of users. Only those who make a living from their profession can preserve, develop, and bring traditional weaving products far and wide.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202508/tho-cam-ba-na-hoi-sinh-8d3041e/