About 60km from the center of Hanoi, Trach Xa craft village (Hoa Lam commune, Ung Hoa district) has long been famous for its traditional ao dai sewing craft. Few people know that this village and its traditional ao dai sewing craft have been around for over 1,000 years. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Trach Xa village's tailoring craft has maintained its tradition to this day because it is entirely handmade. At the end of February 2024, Trach Xa village was recognized as one of 26 National Intangible Cultural Heritages. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) Coming to Trach Xa village in the days after Tet, although it does not seem bustling and bustling, almost every sewing workshop is busy preparing for the new "crop". According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung - Deputy Head of Trach Xa village, in the village there are about 500 households, 90% of which make ao dai. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
At 57 years old, Mr. Do Minh Tam, an ao dai tailor in the village, has been involved in the profession for 40 years. According to Mr. Tam, his family's tailoring profession has been passed down for so many generations that he can't even remember. From the age of 8 or 9, he learned how to use a needle and thread. By the age of 15 or 16, he was able to sew by himself, mastered the sewing techniques, and was able to sew a traditional ao dai by himself. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
According to Mr. Tam, in the past, Trach Xa’s ao dai were completely handmade. The village’s tailors only needed to bring basic tools such as needles, scissors, rulers, markers, etc. to be able to practice their profession. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Nowadays, although there is support from industrial sewing machines, the support of the machine only accounts for a very small proportion. “The machine is only used to support hidden stitches, but exposed stitches must be done by hand,” Mr. Tam shared. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Mr. Tam also revealed that, unlike the usual sewing method, people in Trach Xa village have a unique secret to holding the needle vertically, “holding the needle as if not holding it.” When sewing, the worker’s right index finger is responsible for holding the needle firmly, while using the force of the middle finger of the right hand to push the needle, while the fingers of the left hand will be responsible for adjusting the fabric and guiding the needle by moving the fabric surface up and down rhythmically. This sewing method makes the ao dai softer. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
With the vertical needle-holding style, the tailor cannot see the needle when sewing the shirt. The finished product has no visible stitches on the inside edge of the shirt but is flat as if glued, while the outside of the fabric has straight, even stitches. “Glued inside, spider eggs on the outside” has thus become a standard of Trach Xa tailors. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
In addition to the vertical hand-held needle technique, Trach Xa ao dai is also unique in that it uses sewing thread taken from the fabric used to sew the ao dai. Mr. Tam said that if industrial thread is used when washing or ironing, the body of the ao dai will shrink under the influence of heat and water, and the ao dai skirt will become stiff. When washed, Trach Xa ao dai will not shrink, and will look very natural and soft. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Mr. Tam said that the busiest months of the year in Trach Xa village are October and November. During this time, people make ao dai to wear during Tet. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Mr. Do Minh Tam is a master tailor who is proficient in tailoring ao dai for men. The men's collared ao dai designed by Mr. Tam are based on the old ao dai models that were once made by tailors at Trach Xa for King Bao Dai and Nguyen Dynasty officials. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Depending on the material, each men's ao dai costs several million, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of dong per product thanks to the sophistication from the buttons to the stitching. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Mr. Tam shared that before, without the support of sewing machines, each ao dai took about 4 days to complete. Now, with additional support tools, he can complete a traditional ao dai every day. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
These days, Ms. Le Thi Hang's sewing workshop is also busy with orders for thousands of ao dai sets. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Unlike Mr. Tam, Ms. Hang’s sewing workshop specializes in modern, innovative ao dai designs. Ms. Hang said: “I am not from the village but I have been a daughter-in-law here for a long time and have 12 years of experience in the ao dai sewing profession.” (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Thanks to her diligence in studying and acquiring knowledge about modern ao dai, Ms. Hang's ao dai are favored by many tourists and customers. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
In Trach Xa, learning tailoring is very difficult, requiring perseverance and dedication from both the learner and the teacher. According to Ms. Hang, to master the profession, it usually takes a person about 3-4 years. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Under the skillful hands of tailors, traditional ao dai are created to be discreet, while highlighting the graceful figure of Hanoi women. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
Ao dai in Trach Xa are always favored by consumers because of the softness of the dress and the gracefulness of the wearer. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) 
In 2004, Trach Xa village was recognized as a “Traditional Ao Dai Sewing Village.” In the village, there are many skilled workers who are recognized as artisans. Trach Xa village is now not only a traditional craft village but also a cultural destination that attracts domestic and foreign tourists. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+) (Vietnam+)
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