Preserving the traditional costume tailoring of the Cao Lan ethnic group

Amidst the rhythm of modern life, Mrs. Phan Thi Hien, a resident of My Lam 3 residential area, My Lam ward (Tuyen Quang City), continues to preserve the traditional cultural values of the Cao Lan ethnic group through her dedication to reviving and maintaining the craft of tailoring traditional Cao Lan costumes.

Mrs. Hien’s shop attracts a lot of customers.

Amidst the rhythm of modern life, Mrs. Phan Thi Hien, a resident of My Lam residential group (My Lam ward), continues to preserve the traditional cultural values of the Cao Lan ethnic group through her dedication to reviving and maintaining the craft of tailoring traditional Cao Lan costumes.

Inside her small house, the sound of sewing machines fills the air day and night. Her home-based workshop is neatly arranged with red and black fabric squares, while six sewing machines stand in a row, ready to work on orders from across the country.

For the past 15 years, Mrs. Hien and her husband have devoted themselves to this traditional craft. Thanks to her skill and the use of modern technology, she now serves many customers both inside and outside the province.

In addition to production, Mrs. Hien’s shop has become a cultural destination for tourists visiting My Lam, an emerging attraction in Tuyen Quang. The Women’s Union of My Lam ward has transformed her tailoring shop into a check-in spot and cultural experience site, offering visitors the chance to explore traditional ethnic crafts firsthand.

According to Mrs. Nguyen Minh Hue, Chairwoman of the My Lam Women’s Union, Mrs. Hien’s passion for ethnic costumes has played an important role in preserving and promoting traditional cultural values linked with local tourism. The Union plans to establish at least 2 more similar initiatives in the ward, both as an effective way to conserve and preserve traditions and to create new highlights for My Lam’s tourism development in the coming time.

Mrs. Hien’s demonstrates that maintaining and developing traditional crafts not only preserves cultural identity but also opens new directions for sustainable economic growth and community-based tourism.

Tran Lien