According to the 2019 population and housing census, the Dao ethnic group has a population of 891,151 people, residing mainly in the midland and mountainous provinces of the North. From a cultural perspective, in addition to the common elements of the Dao ethnic group such as: Origin, history, language, through daily life, each ethnic group has its own nuances but is very diverse and rich. The groups all have different names, the names of those groups are often derived from the characteristics of their costumes such as: Red Dao, Dao Quan Chet, Dao Lo Gang, Dao Tien, Dao Quan Trang, Dao Thanh Y, Dao Lan Ten... 
There are some ethnic groups that still lack many elements and components to create a complete costume. But for the Dao ethnic group, women's costumes have all the elements of jewelry and costumes such as: scarves, hats, shirts, skirts, bibs, pants, belts, leggings, earrings, necklaces, rings. Not only are the costumes complete, but they are also very diverse and rich: Scarves must have at least 3 types (square scarves, rectangular scarves, long scarves...), hats worn on weddings, fasting or granting titles... and everyday wear. In addition, clothes, bibs, belts, leggings also have 2 to 3 types. Jewelry is also diverse in types and more different for some local groups. Compared to other ethnic groups, the Dao ethnic group still retains many of its own identity with cotton fabric dyed in indigo, blue, red, black, purple or white. 
For Dao ethnic women, dressing is very important, their costumes show their aesthetic ability, creativity, and sophistication in every stitch. From a young age, Dao girls are taught by their grandmothers and mothers how to spin, weave, or sew and embroider. In the past, Dao men often wore long hair in a bun at the nape of the neck, wrapped in an axe-head scarf, or left a tuft of hair on top of their heads, but today, most have short hair. In addition to the traditional style of clothing, Dao men also wear blouses like Vietnamese farmers and in the past, they also used some jewelry like women, such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, etc. If men's clothing is simple, it is short shirts, open at the chest, buttoned in front of the chest and usually with 5 buttons. Pants are very wide at the crotch, allowing movement in any position. Clothing is usually short or long indigo. Women's clothing is richer and retains many traditional decorative patterns. 
The Dao people's visual arts are not developed, but the decorative arts on clothing are noteworthy. They are not only rich in color, but also very rich in motifs. The way of embroidery is unique. People embroider on the left side of the fabric, the pattern emerges on the right side, not drawing the pattern on the fabric but completely based on the "artist's" memory on shirts, bibs, leggings, along with gold and silver jewelry, and head scarves. Both men, women and children of the Dao people like to wear jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, and head scarves. In addition to beautifying, they also have humanistic and religious values. According to legend, people who wear silver jewelry will ward off evil spirits, avoid the wind and even be blessed by gods. 
The Red Dao wear red scarves and red flowers on their chests. The Red Dao's hat is made of a small wooden frame with two sharp corners protruding forward from bamboo strips covered with red cloth and many embroidered scarves. This type of hat is often used in ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Red Dao women have long hair, wrapped around their heads, and wear scarves made of red cloth or felt. Their clothes are all indigo, but embroidered with many patterns in colored thread, mainly red thread. Dao Quan Chet women cut their hair short, comb it with beeswax, wear indigo scarves, wear narrow pants, tight on the legs, and only slightly below the knee. Their hats are similar to those of the Red Dao. Dao Lo Gang women dress similarly to the Dao Quan Chet group, the only difference being the head scarves. Many square scarves (20x20cm) are stacked on top of each other and held firmly on the head with strings of colorful glass beads. Dao Tien women cut their hair short and also comb it with beeswax like Dao Quan Chet women, wear long indigo scarves or white square scarves, and indigo long dresses with many embroidery on the two front flaps. 
The Red Dao's hat is made of hair tangled with beeswax, covered with an embroidered cloth because it is used in ceremonies, weddings or funerals. The collar at the back of the neck and the slit are decorated with a few coins. The Tien Dao women wear indigo-dyed skirts, the patterns on the hem of the skirt are printed with beeswax. This is a characteristic of the costumes of the Tien Dao women. For the White Pants Dao women, the head scarf and the bib stand out. The square scarf is embroidered a lot, the bib is very large, long, covering the chest and abdomen, with embroidered patterns woven with many colored threads. They are called White Pants Dao, but people still wear indigo pants on normal days, only on the wedding day does the bride wear white pants to her husband's house. Thanh Y Dao women have long hair wrapped around the top of their heads, and wear hats that look like buckets. The top of the hat is decorated with a silver star, and around the edge of the hat are many round silver pieces shaped like fish scales. The Ao Dai Dao women's costumes are similar to the Thanh Y Dao, but the hats are flat like plates. In the context of integration and development, the Dao ethnic group has also kept pace with modern life, but they still retain their traditional cultural features. In particular, the Dao people's costumes have contributed to enriching and creating diversity in Vietnamese culture.Heritage Magazine
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