Women from Muong Bi, Muong Vang, and Muong Thang villages participate in the Muong ethnic group's rice planting festival in Hoa Binh province.
Unique and impressive beauty
Like women of other ethnic groups, the Muong people have their own distinctive clothing. The blouses, skirts, and accessories are often worn during festivals, holidays, and sometimes in daily life.
The outer garment worn by Muong women comes in many different colors from various Muong regions and is called the Pắn shirt, or short shirt. The Pắn shirt is long, reaching to the waist, with a seam running along the spine at the back. The front features a deep V-neckline that extends down to the chest. Traditionally, the Pắn shirt of the Muong people had a round neckline and sleeves that were sewn together at the shoulders. However, nowadays, the sleeves of the Pắn shirt are no longer sewn together at the shoulders but are cut and sewn as a single piece, similar to the traditional Vietnamese blouse (áo bà ba), tapering towards the wrist.
Besides silver and beaded necklaces and bracelets, accessories that complement Muong traditional clothing include silver ornaments and a set of silver bracelets, which are distinctive highlights.
The colors of the traditional clothing of Muong women are elegant and graceful, possessing a unique beauty that reflects the sincere and refined character of Muong women. Ms. Bui Bich Le, from Hop Phong commune, Cao Phong district, said that the colors in Muong women's clothing are not overly vibrant, but are expressed through each part of the outfit. The skirt must always be black or dark blue, and the headscarf must always be white. However, the subtle handling of color by coordinating the headscarf, short blouse with a bodice, and especially the colors and patterns on the waistband of the skirt, makes the Muong women's attire unique and distinctive. During festivals and holidays in the Muong regions of Hoa Binh province, the "me kha" and "un mang" (elderly women and sisters in the Muong villages) dress up in their Pắn blouses, black skirts, blue belts, and silver ornaments, holding Muong gongs that produce resounding sounds.
Muong women in Hoa Binh province wearing traditional clothing.
With unique designs and characteristics in the traditional costumes of the Muong regions, the girls of Muong Bi and Muong Vang wear light blue and white Pắn blouses; the girls of Muong Dong wear pink blouses, while the girls of Muong Thang wear cobalt blue blouses. These colors blend together in the festive atmosphere and the sound of gongs and drums, making the Muong women of Hoa Binh even more graceful and beautiful. The unique and elegant design of the Muong women's costume includes: a white headscarf, which the Muong people call a hat. The hat is a triangular, unbordered white cloth strip, about a handspan wide and long enough to cover the head, tied at the nape of the neck. For Muong women, the white headscarf has significant meaning because it symbolizes purity and nobility, and also expresses respect and honor for their ancestors.The bodice worn inside the Pắn blouse is a square piece of fabric in various colors, with a rounded top edge to fit snugly around the neck, tied at the nape of the neck, and ties on both sides that loop around the back, similar to how the Kinh people tie their bodices. Next is the skirt, which in Muong clothing is divided into two main parts: the top part – also called the waistband – and the body of the skirt. The waistband is the most beautiful part of Muong women's clothing, with elaborate decorations and colors. The art of decorating the waistband in traditional Muong women's clothing belongs to the Dong Son art tradition, expressed through the composition, geometric patterns, and stylized animals such as the image of the sun in the center of the bronze drum, transformed into eight-pointed stars standing close together in a horizontal strip on the waistband, or animal motifs commonly seen on bronze drums, such as deer, chickens, peacocks, phoenixes, snakes, dragons... also reproduced on the waistband.
Muong ethnic women wearing traditional clothing.
According to writer Le Va, Chairman of the Hoa Binh Provincial Association of Literature and Arts, the art of decorating the waistbands of Muong women's skirts reflects, on the one hand, the ancient human values of the ancient Vietnamese people, and on the other hand, demonstrates the aesthetics, creativity, and skillful hands of women today who have embraced traditional values to weave these waistbands, which have become the soul of Muong women's clothing.
The skirt is attached to the waistband and sewn into a tube shape. When worn, the excess fabric is folded forward. The skirt is mainly black or dark blue. Inside the hem, there is a pink, red, or floral trim. When climbing the stairs to the stilt house or when moving around, the skirt flares with each step, the floral trim subtly appearing and disappearing, creating an attractive and unique look for the Muong women's attire. Besides silver and beaded necklaces and bracelets, the "tenh" and silver "sa tich" are particularly eye-catching accessories that complement the Muong women's attire. The "tenh" is a long piece of silk fabric, either blue or yellow, sewn together at both ends. When worn, the "tenh" is tied around the waist, creating a knot at the hip of the Muong woman. Along with that, the silver "sa tich" is skillfully woven into the "tenh" from the hip towards the front, featuring decorative details such as snail shells or silver-plated tiger claws.
Muong women in Hoa Binh wear traditional clothing during festivals, Tet (Lunar New Year), weddings, or other important events.
Mrs. Bui Thi Sen, from Xom Chao hamlet, Kim Boi commune, Kim Boi district, shared that the colors of Muong women's clothing are not as vibrant and colorful as Thai women's clothing, but they are elegant, profound, and simple, reflecting the sincere and refined character of Muong women. Through their traditional attire, the family background, age, social class, and different Muong regions in Hoa Binh province are clearly revealed.
Preserving the cultural value of Muong women's traditional clothing.
According to Ms. Bui Kim Phuc, Head of the Cultural Management Department of the Hoa Binh Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the traditional costumes of Muong ethnic women in Hoa Binh are a selective cultural fusion and crystallization achieved through the preservation, safeguarding, and promotion of the unique cultural features of the Muong people over many generations. The patterns, motifs, and designs on the costumes tell stories about the worldview and express the noble aspirations of the Muong communities in Hoa Binh province, contributing to enriching the cultural tapestry of ethnic groups in the Northwest region in general and Hoa Binh province in particular.
Muong ethnic women in Hoa Binh province wearing traditional costumes.
Currently, with the fluctuations of the market economy , the synchronized development of the transportation system facilitating easy exchange between regions, and the strong interaction of domestic and foreign cultures, many distinctive cultural values of ethnic groups are gradually being lost and fading away. However, in the Muong regions, the Hoa Binh provincial government is still striving to maintain, organize, restore, and preserve cultural festivals, rituals, and traditional customs of the Muong people. Muong women in Hoa Binh still preserve and equip themselves with traditional costumes to wear during festivals, Tet (Lunar New Year), weddings, or other important events.
On November 24, 2023, the People's Committee of Hoa Binh province issued a Decision approving the Project "Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Values of the Muong Ethnic Group and Hoa Binh Culture in the period 2023-2030" in the province, aiming to research and evaluate the preservation of the values of "Hoa Binh Culture" and the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh province. Through this, the project aims to awaken and promote the potential value of cultural heritage, towards forming several Muong ethnic cultural spaces and spaces for preserving "Hoa Binh Culture"; restoring tangible cultural values; promoting intangible cultural values of the Muong ethnic group; and strengthening the promotion and development of "Hoa Binh Culture".
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