Pa Then brocade to the international market

Since ancient times, the Pa Then ethnic group in Tan Trinh commune has formed and preserved the traditional brocade weaving craft. With sophisticated patterns in every detail and stitch, each brocade product has woven a living cultural treasure, converging the spirit, beliefs and depth of the Pa Then people's soul.

Ms. Tai Thi Mai (left), Director of Pa Then Tan Bac Brocade Cooperative, inspects brocade weaving products.

Soul in every thread

For the Pa Then people, brocade weaving is not simply a profession, but an indispensable part of their cultural and spiritual life. From a young age, girls are taught by their grandmothers and mothers how to spin thread, hang frames, and weave fabric. Thus, through each generation, the weaving profession is passed down with love and deep pride.

Originating from the concept that red is the color of fire, the color of faith and light, the fire god is the most sacred god of the nation, Pa Then women weave traditional costumes with red as the main color. Symbolic patterns on the costumes are closely associated with life and spiritual beliefs such as: human heads, diamond shapes, water snakes, dogs, letter A. Each costume is clearly distinguished by age, children, young girls, brides, adult women, the elderly, creating a unique cultural feature.

Artisan Xin Thi Lo, My Bac village, said: “I learned to weave when I was eight or ten years old. Back then, every Pa Then girl had to weave her own clothes before getting married. The fabric she made with her own hands was also the most valuable dowry. Now, even though I am over 60 years old, I still regularly participate in the Pa Then Tan Bac Brocade Cooperative to inspire and continue the younger generation to preserve the beauty and develop the traditional craft.”

Brocade takes off and reaches far

Since 2017, the brocade weaving profession has been strongly promoted through the Pa Then Tan Bac Brocade Cooperative in My Bac village. To facilitate the development of the cooperative, all levels and sectors have had policies to support machinery and equipment; open vocational training courses; organize study tours to learn about models; provide preferential loans and access to markets, and hold seminars to promote product consumption in many provinces and cities.

Artisans of My Bac village, Tan Bac commune pass on the Pa Then brocade weaving craft to the younger generation.

This year, with the support of the Good Neighbors International project, the cooperative is carrying out an export order of 1,000 brocade products to Korea, including 500 scented bag keychains and 500 ATM and ID card wallets. In addition, the cooperative has effectively utilized social networks Zalo and Facebook to livestream sales and promote products. Thanks to that, Pa Then brocade is increasingly popular with consumers, especially tourists from Japan, England, and America.

Ms. Tai Thi Mai, Director of Pa Then Tan Bac Brocade Cooperative, shared: Each brocade product is like a "cultural ambassador" of the indigenous people. Therefore, in addition to aesthetic factors and practicality, the quality of the items is always put first and must have stamps and barcodes to trace the origin. The products are also very diverse and rich such as: dresses, shirts, scarves, hats, handbags, souvenirs. The selling price depends on each type, the lowest is 25 thousand VND, women's clothing costs 5 million VND/set.

Comrade Luong Thi Kiem, Head of the Department of Culture and Society of Tan Trinh commune, said: “The Pa Then ethnic group belongs to a group of ethnic minorities with a very small population, living concentrated in the commune, with a population of more than 5,000 people. Every year, the commune still maintains the Pa Then Fire Dance Festival associated with activities of sightseeing and experiencing brocade weaving. The Department will advise local Party committees and authorities to promote the potential and strengths of the weaving profession, combined with the development of community tourism, building OCOP products, supporting e-commerce connections, so that Pa Then brocade has more vitality”.

Article and photos: MOC LAN

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202507/tho-cam-pa-then-ra-thi-truong-quoc-te-b702aff/