Village 20 preserves the identity of the Dao Thanh Y

Following the concrete road stretching from the center of Tan Tien commune (old), passing through pomelo and orange gardens laden with fruit, we arrived at village 20, Tan Long commune, where 170 households live, including 41 households of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group, accounting for nearly 25% of the total number of households. The Dao ethnic group here live together, united and always actively preserve their ethnic cultural identity such as language, costumes, traditional customs...

Members of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic identity preservation club in village 20, Tan Long commune practice performing arts.

Mr. Vuong Tu Phin, Village Chief, said that in 2024, he would establish a Club to preserve the cultural identity of the Dao ethnic group in the village, chaired by him, with 45 members. At the Club's launching ceremony, a performance of the Dao Thanh Y's initiation ceremony was held. This is one of the prominent and typical ceremonies of the Dao people, not only expressing ethnic beliefs, but also expressing cultural beauty with unique dances.

Tuyen Quang has 9 Dao branches, each with its own unique characteristics. Among them, the most noticeable is the traditional costume. Ms. Truong Thi Nguyen, 62 years old, village 20 shared: “The costume of our Thanh Y Dao people is a combination of many bright colors on a black background, with many sophisticated embroidery patterns showing the ingenuity of Dao women. Women's costumes include ao dai, bib, belt, headdress...”.

The Dao women's costume features a striking red color on a black background.

The headdress of the Dao Thanh Y is black, decorated with silver around the edges, creating a highlight. To wear the hat, the Dao Thanh Y girls and women must know how to tie and curl their hair, so that the small hat fits on the top of the head and is tied securely. Therefore, if they are not used to it, many people find it difficult to wear the hat themselves, but have to ask their grandmother, mother, relatives or friends to do it for them.

If you observe carefully, you will easily notice that the Dao Thanh Y women's costume has two types of belts. The red belt with delicate embroidery is tied inside and the white belt with colorful embroidery is tied outside. If a girl only wears the red belt, she is not married, but if she wears both types of belts, she is married.

The headscarf of the Dao people is meticulously embroidered with a distinctive red color.

Mrs. Ly Thi Lien, 66 years old, expressed that to have the most beautiful outfit, since childhood, the Dao Thanh Di girl was taught embroidery by her grandmother and mother. She learned embroidery when she was 14-15 years old, embroidering headscarves, bibs, belts... The main patterns such as birds, stars, plants... express people's desire to always be attached to and in harmony with nature. Many years have passed, she still maintains the traditional embroidery profession and teaches her children and grandchildren; making her own clothes for her children and grandchildren, especially when they are about to go to their husband's house.

The white belt of the Dao Thanh Y is embroidered with red and black patterns, creating a highlight.

The Dao Thanh Y people still preserve traditional customs imbued with their identity. Mr. Trieu Van Xuan, Head of the Village Front Work Committee, said that in addition to the Cap Sac ceremony, the Dao Thanh Y people also have the Cau Lang ceremony, which is performed five times a year in the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th and 12th lunar months. The ritual prays for a year of peace, good health, bountiful harvests, and increasingly prosperous life... Thereby, expressing the wish for the best things to come to the people in the village.

On every full moon day or festival, people in the village also take the time to pound the sticky rice cake to burn incense to their ancestors and give as gifts to their children and grandchildren. Ms. Ly Thi Lien shared that they often mix sticky rice with gac fruit to create color, then put it on sticky rice. When the rice is cooked and soft, the sticky rice is put in a mortar and pounded by hand until smooth, while pounding, the steam is still rising, looking very attractive. People usually do not make cakes with fillings, or wrap the cakes in leaves, but after pounding, the cakes are left to cool down, then cut into pieces or shaped into balls and flattened into the shape of a cake...

Dao Thanh Y people of village 20, Tan Long commune pound rice cake.

Mr. Vuong Tu Phin, Village Chief, added that the village and its organizations always promote and encourage people to preserve the cultural identity of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group. At the same time, he hopes to develop homestay services in the future to both generate income for the people and preserve and spread the ethnic cultural identity in the community.

Huyền Linh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202511/thon-20-giu-gin-ban-sac-dao-thanh-y-4892a90/