Dao ethnic minority women from Minh Loi village, Trumg Minh commune, embroidering patterns on traditional costumes.

Then Van Phuc, head of Bum Ken village in Hung Loi commune, said the ethnic minority people regularly wore traditional clothes everyday in the past. However, in recent years, there have been less locals using traditional costumes, particularly men and young people.

According to Nguyen Dac Tien, head of the Yen Son district’s cultural and information department in Yen Son, the changes in socio-economic conditions is one of the main reasons for the oblivion of traditional clothes. Meanwhile, modern fabrics available in the market are extremely diverse in terms of style, colour and design. Especially, the prices of these types of fabrics are very cheap, while the growing of cotton and mulberries and silkworm farming for making fibers and weaving fabrics are very costly. In addition, relevant agencies and people have not paid much attention to preserving and transferring the work of making traditional clothes to younger generations. Therefore, the conservation of traditional costumes is an urgent requirement at present.

Dao ethnic women from Vang Nguoc village, Trung Minh commune, always wear their traditional clothes on holidays and festivals.

Cu Thi Du, from Lang Chap village, Trung Son village, shared that Mong ethnic people here often guide each other in how to embroider costumes. Whenever they are free or on weekends, the elderlies instruct their children to embroider.