Recently, Mr. Lo A Loi, a Mong ethnic person in Sa Pa, Lao Cai , posted an article, expressing his concern about the situation where some tour guides introduce foreign male tourists to wear traditional Mong women's clothes, as a way to take pictures for entertainment, "attract views" or "make people laugh".
According to Mr. Loi, on TikTok, it is not difficult to find short videos recording images of foreign male tourists wearing traditional dresses of Mong women. Some tourists even wear the dress around their neck like a scarf and dance at tourist destinations in Ha Giang (now Tuyen Quang).
Sharing with VietNamNet reporter , Mr. Loi said: "As a Mong ethnic, I am very interested in and respect Mong culture in general and Mong people in Ha Giang in particular. I have thought a lot and decided to speak up with the hope that those working in tourism will join hands to preserve and spread cultural identity."
According to Mr. Loi, the traditional dress of Mong women is not only eye-catching in form but also represents the femininity, diligence, affection and sacrifice of women. Because the women can spend a whole year to complete a dress, very patient and elaborate.
"These costumes are also associated with ceremonies, weddings, funerals, festivals, etc., so they have a very sacred value to us Mong people.
Therefore, when I see tourists not understanding the meaning of the dress and making funny videos, I feel hurt. Foreign tourists cannot fully understand the meaning of national costumes, but tour guides and tourism workers need to be aware of protecting national costumes and culture," said Mr. Loi.
Images of foreign male tourists wearing traditional Vietnamese ethnic dresses have gone viral on social media. Screenshot
Mr. Loi’s post was shared on many Ha Giang tourism groups, attracting mixed opinions. Most people objected to foreign male tourists wearing Mong women’s skirts to take videos.
They were even more upset when Vietnamese people witnessed and encouraged the action or commented with humor and fun.
"The costumes of the Mong ethnic group are very beautiful. They have separate costumes for men and women. It would be great if they were guided to wear them properly and have the right experience"; "I have seen such videos on TikTok. Sadly, in the comments, most people see them as humorous and fun, without realizing that the problem is that they use inappropriate costumes"...
However, there are also opinions that in many countries, colorful skirts are also men's clothing, so tourists may be confused.
Mr. Hoang Van Hoan, Director of Gio Ha Giang Travel Company, manager of the Ha Giang Review - Amazing Things in Ha Giang page (more than 100,000 members) said that while leading tourists to explore Tuyen Quang, he witnessed a foreign male tourist wearing a Mong women's skirt.
"In my opinion, this situation is largely due to tour guides not introducing and guiding tourists to understand the costumes of ethnic minorities. Maybe because the tour guides' English is not good enough or their cultural awareness is not deep. Personally, I strongly disagree with tour guides who recommend male tourists wear skirts to film entertainment videos," said Mr. Hoan.
Traditional costumes are highly respected by the Mong people. Photo: Lo A Loi
From the perspective of sustainable tourism, Dr. Trinh Le Anh - Head of Event Management Department, Faculty of Tourism, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said that letting male tourists wear traditional costumes of Mong women for the purpose of making people laugh and "attracting views" is an offensive and culturally deviant behavior.
"National costumes are not simply fabrics. They are symbols of identity, spirit and pride of the community. When used incorrectly, these values can easily be commercialized, trivialized, and even insulted," said Mr. Le Anh.
He added that when he arrived in Japan, he was instructed by the locals to wear traditional kimono.
They spent time explaining in detail the meaning of each layer of clothing, each type of pattern, and the rules of conduct when wearing it, such as how to stand, how to bow, and even not sitting cross-legged because it is culturally inappropriate.
Or when he went to Bhutan, Mr. Le Anh participated in a traditional festival and was invited to wear a Gho - the national costume for men. Before handing out the costumes, the tour guide told stories about the history of the costume, about how the king still wears it every day as a symbol of his attachment to the nation.
"Sustainable tourism requires mutual respect between tourists, tourism workers and local communities. I think it's time for localities to have specific guidelines on exploiting traditional costumes in experiential tours.
Traditional costumes are not meant to be 'tried on for fun', but are part of a ritual, a bridge for visitors to enter the spiritual world of the indigenous community, with respect.
Tour guides and tour operators also need to be better trained to deeply understand and properly spread cultural values. Traveling is not only for fun but also to understand, to love, to preserve together," said Dr. Trinh Le Anh.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/tranh-cai-nam-du-khach-nuoc-ngoai-mac-vay-dong-bao-mong-quay-video-giai-tri-196250805105534546.htm
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