Eo village preserves the identity of the Dao Thanh Y

As a village with 100% of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group, the people of Eo village, Xuan Van commune are always conscious of preserving the ethnic cultural identity in their daily lives. Each dance, Pao Dung singing, traditional embroidery, making humpbacked Chung cake... are promoted by the members of the Club (CLB) to preserve the ethnic cultural identity of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group of the village and pass it on to each other so that the cultural identity is not lost over time.

Club members promote and preserve the cultural identity of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group in Eo village, preserving the traditional embroidery craft.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh, 64 years old, a member of the club promoting and preserving the cultural identity of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group in Eo village, shared that every day she and her family wrap about 100 humpbacked Chung cakes and bring them to Phan Thiet market, Minh Xuan ward to sell. Dressed in the traditional costume of the Dao Thanh Y people, with a gentle, friendly smile, the humpbacked Chung cakes she personally wrapped have become a familiar dish for many people in the market.

A dance practice session of the club members.

Not only is the rice carefully selected and the meat and bean filling mixed with the right flavor delicious, her cake also has a distinctive aroma. She said, to have a pot of delicious and fragrant cake, she took the rau da dat tree, burned it to get the slag, then filtered the water to soak the rice. This is a familiar plant of the Dao people, with a light aroma, creating an attractive cake. In particular, to make the cake evenly cooked, she boiled it on a wood stove for 8 hours. Therefore, every morning, by only 8-10 o'clock, her cakes were sold out, creating an additional source of income for the family.

Club members in traditional costumes of the Dao Thanh Y people.

Despite being busy with family work, the club members always take time to practice dancing, singing, and teaching traditional costume embroidery. Ms. Dang Thi Thom, Club Director, said that the club was established in 2005, and is one of the earliest villages in the commune to establish a club to preserve ethnic cultural identity. Initially, there were 28 members participating, and now there are 34 members. The elderly members are the core of the club, they have taught embroidery and Pao Dung singing to the young members.

Ms. Trieu Thi Phuong, 66 years old, expressed: “When the children first joined the club, they did not know how to embroider, so she and everyone else guided them through each needle and thread. Even the way to wear the traditional costume of the Dao Thanh Y, the children were not proficient because the headdress is quite elaborate. If the hair is not tied and tied up properly, the small, round hat on top of the head will not be held firmly, and the wearer will not be confident”. In 2024, the club participated in the performance of traditional costumes of ethnic groups in Yen Son district (old) and won the A prize.

Traditional dances are regularly practiced by the club to participate in exchanges and performances.

Ms. Tran Thi Hue , a young member of the Club, shared that she joined the Club in 2020. At first, she did not know how to sing, dance, or embroider traditional costumes. But with the guidance of the ladies in the Club, she now knows how to embroider some simple parts of the costume such as the bib, the headscarf, and the belt. To complete a costume takes a lot of time and requires dexterity and meticulousness, she still has a lot to learn.

Not only making costumes for themselves, their children and grandchildren, some members of the club also know how to use social networks to introduce their products. From there, they sell to customers in need. Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh said that she posted about embroidering traditional costumes on Facebook, and many people asked to buy them. Depending on the sophistication and meticulousness of each part, the price is different. Usually, the shirt costs 600,000 VND, the bib 400,000 VND, the white belt is 800,000 VND... A complete costume costs about 3 million VND. Many customers from Quang Ninh and some other localities have bought products that she embroidered herself.

Club members guide each other to learn embroidery.

Attending a meeting of the club to promote and preserve the cultural identity of the Dao Thanh Y ethnic group in Eo village, we watched the women meticulously instruct young members to embroider traditional costumes; the women practiced dancing, singing and live-streaming on Tiktok, Youtube... With practical methods, the local Dao Thanh Y ethnic culture is not only preserved but also spreading day by day in the community.

Huyền Linh

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/202512/thon-eo-giu-gin-ban-sac-dao-thanh-y-4953059/