Coming to Dong Cuong commune, it is not difficult to encounter images of Red Dao people in brilliantly colored traditional costumes. Dong Cuong has 14 ethnic groups living together, of which the Red Dao people account for the majority. In modern life, the Red Dao people in Dong Cuong still persistently keep ancient features in traditional costumes, considering it as a connecting string between the past and the present. For them, each embroidery line, each fold on the shirt is not only a product of ingenuity but also a place to send pride and love for national culture. 

Traditional costumes of Red Dao people in Dong Cuong.

In the late afternoon, we stopped by Khe Van village - where 98% of the population is Red Dao people. In the front porch of a small house, a few women sat together, holding cloths embroidered with brilliant red, white, and black colors. They chatted while attentively working, sometimes tilting to carefully look at each pattern line. Mrs. Trieu Thi Tiep (artisan in Khe Van village) sat among the group of women, meticulously adjusting each thread line while whispering: I learned embroidery since I was just over ten years old, just watching my mother and sisters and learning. Just like that, patterns and embroidery methods seemed to soak into the blood. Each needle stitch, each thread line has its own meaning, telling the story of our ethnic group.

On the cloth Mrs. Tiep is working on, motifs of the sun, mountains and forests, rivers and streams, flowers and leaves, etc. gradually appear clearly. She said, for the Red Dao people, traditional costumes are not only for wearing, but a symbol of pride, a sign to recognize each other among myriad ethnic groups, amidst many fluctuations of life. That costume wraps the soul, beliefs, folk knowledge, and aspirations for a peaceful, sufficient life.

Red Dao women in Dong Cuong still keep the profession of embroidering traditional costumes.

Each thread line is a story skillfully told by the Red Dao people.

Each motif carries deep meanings.

However, over time, traditional costumes of the Red Dao people gradually faded. Therefore, in recent years, Dong Cuong commune has deployed many synchronous and methodical solutions to preserve and promote those values. Embroidery groups, women's clubs, and vocational teaching classes were established right in the village, taking elderly artisans as the "nucleus" to guide the young generation. Each vocational class is not only a process of transmitting techniques but also an occasion for the community to bond, for the elderly to tell stories about patterns and the meaning of each needle and thread stitch.

In schools, activities to learn about ethnic costumes are integrated into extracurricular hours. Students observe, experience embroidery, try wearing traditional costumes, thereby forming love and pride for their ethnic culture.

Along with that, the work of collecting and documenting traditional costumes is also emphasized. The commune has coordinated with the community to record pattern samples, film embroidery processes, record folk stories associated with each motif, forming a database for research and teaching.

Mrs. Trieu Thi Tiep guiding the young generation on how to embroider. Photo source: Dong Cuong commune

People wearing Red Dao costumes on their wedding day. Photo source: Dong Cuong commune

People wearing Red Dao costumes on the Great National Unity Festival. Photo source: Dong Cuong commune

In addition, the commune also encourages people to keep the habit of wearing traditional costumes on important occasions, such as: Weddings, festivals, Cap Sac rituals, village festivals, etc. Many women, especially the elderly, still keep the habit of wearing traditional costumes in daily activities. Every early morning, when dew still lingers on leaves, the image of Dao women in indigo cloths, with heads wrapped in red scarves going to the market or to the fields has become a familiar image.

Each motif, each thread line contains deep meaning. The sun shape symbolizes life; flowers and leaves are aspirations for proliferation and development. Embroidery, for us, is not only beautifying, but entrusting thoughts and gratitude to our ancestors. I only hope the young generations understands that, so that later, wherever they go, they remember they are Dao people.

Mrs. Trieu Thi Tiep, Khe Van village, Dong Cuong commune, Lao Cai province.

Efforts of the government and people are not only made to preserve tangible values but also contribute to keeping knowledge, spirit, and the spirit of the Red Dao people.

Mrs. Ha Thi Huong Mai - Vice Chairwoman of Dong Cuong Commune People's Committee, commented: Red Dao costumes in Dong Cuong are not only traditional culture but also the way people here keep their identity amidst modern life. What is precious is that self-conscious preservation does not come from movements, but from the very love and national pride transmitted through many generations.

Dong Cuong commune authorities strive together with people to keep traditional features in Red Dao costumes.

However, while telling us the story, Mrs. Ha Thi Huong Mai still has many concerns, that is the team of artisans is getting older while the succeeding class is not really proficient; traditional raw material sources are gradually becoming scarce; the risk of excessive commercialization can distort patterns, reducing the original value of the heritage, etc.

"The locality really needs attention and support from authority levels and sectors in preserving, keeping, and promoting the traditional value of Dong Cuong Red Dao costumes. At the same time, the accompaniment of researchers and cultural experts in appraising and compiling bilingual documents will contribute to widely promoting that value to domestic and international friends" - Mrs. Ha Thi Huong Mai added.

“In the period 2025 - 2030, Dong Cuong commune sets the goal of perfecting the standard set of Red Dao costumes with unified standards on colors and patterns; strongly developing OCOP products from brocade; pushing digitization of heritage and strengthening communication on digital platforms, etc."

Mrs. Ha Thi Huong Mai - Vice Chairwoman of Dong Cuong Commune People's Committee.

The afternoon gradually fell, the sunlight at the end of the day covered a light yellow layer on the porch, making the red color on the cloth seem more brilliant. Traditional costumes were cherished, folded, and placed neatly aside, as proof of the persistent pride of many generations. In Dong Cuong, amidst the new rhythm of life spreading fast every day, the Red Dao people still silently keep ancient customs with skillful hands, and with deep love for ethnic culture.

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