After a long time of seemingly “sleeping” in the highland villages, the brocade of the Co Tu people on the land at the headwaters of the Cu De River has been awakened by the talented hands of women in Ta Lang - Gian Bi, Hoa Bac commune, Hoa Vang district, Da Nang city, bringing income to the people, while preserving the cultural beauty for future generations.
Reconstructing brocade color
Coming to Ta Lang and Gian Bi today, visitors will see the familiar image of the Co Tu Brocade Weaving Association sisters diligently weaving brocade and chatting animatedly at the village's Guol house. Ms. Dinh Thi Tin, a member of the Brocade Weaving Association, said that there was a time when no one in both Ta Lang and Gian Bi villages knew how to weave brocade. Seeing the Co Tu people in Dong Giang, Tay Giang (Quang Nam) or Nam Dong (Thua Thien Hue) performing such beautiful brocade weaving and wearing such beautiful brocade, but no women in Hoa Bac commune knew how to weave, the sisters also wanted to learn how to weave to make brocade for themselves.
The opportunity came in 2018 when Hoa Vang district invited brocade weavers from the mountainous districts of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces to teach weaving to women in Hoa Bac. More than 40 women from the two villages of Ta Lang and Gian Bi were eager to attend the class, and the more they learned, the more they loved their ethnic group's traditional weaving craft. After being taught each needle and thread, each pattern, each way of weaving and spinning thread, the brocades with delicate patterns were gradually "born".
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, Head of the Women's Association of Ta Lang village, Head of the Brocade Weaving Association, shared that despite many difficulties, the restoration and development of the traditional weaving craft of the Co Tu people in Hoa Bac is still being determined by the government and the people, because this is the cultural identity and pride of the Co Tu people.
Co Tu women weave brocade to serve tourism development.
The story of colors
Recently, Hoa Bac commune is promoting the development of community ecotourism. The Da Nang city government has had many policies and projects to support the Co Tu people in the area to preserve, conserve and promote the brocade weaving craft. This is an opportunity for the Co Tu people to introduce, demonstrate and promote the brocade weaving craft for tourism. Thereby, people can earn more income, improve their lives and preserve their traditional craft.
Ms. Dinh Thi Tin shared that to have beautiful and diverse brocade products, women must be really persistent and creative. The types of patterns are created richly according to the imagination of the weavers but all focus on the theme of flowers, grass and familiar symbols associated with the lives of the people. Therefore, each woven product created is a work of art that incorporates the soul, talent, aesthetic sense, creative intelligence, and working spirit of the women, creating the special value of brocade. In addition to brocade dresses, women also weave brocade to create many other diverse designs and products such as scarves, handbags, wallets, souvenirs, etc.
Tourists learn about the Co Tu brocade weaving process in Hoa Bac.
As community ecotourism develops, more and more domestic and foreign tourists come to Hoa Bac. Many domestic and international tourists are very excited to experience firsthand the stages of brocade weaving of the Co Tu people such as threading, molding, spinning, weaving... The nimble hands and explanations about the patterns on the products bring tourists interesting and attractive discoveries.
Currently, the Ta Lang - Gian Bi Women's Brocade Weaving Association has 20 members operating on a household scale. Brocade weaving brings an average income of 3.5 million to 4 million VND/month to each woman. This is a tourism economic model that is being encouraged and supported by all levels and sectors for ethnic minorities.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tan, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Hoa Vang district, said that the Da Nang city government has developed a project to preserve and promote the culture of the Co Tu ethnic group in the 2022-2030 period with a budget of more than 31.3 billion VND. The project aims to preserve the traditional culture of ethnic minorities, including the Co Tu brocade weaving craft in Hoa Bac commune, creating a driving force for cultural development associated with tourism, hunger eradication and poverty reduction; building a healthy cultural life and environment; pushing back backward customs, diversifying cultural life; strengthening the great national unity bloc.
Tieu Dao (Ethnic and Development Newspaper)
Source: https://baophutho.vn/hoi-sinh-tho-cam-co-tu-o-hoa-bac-221434.htm
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