The simple beauty of Cao Lan culture

In residential group 7, Binh Thuan ward, it is easy to see women dressed in the traditional costumes of the Cao Lan ethnic group, enjoy chim gau cakes, colorful sticky rice, or listen to Sinh ca folk songs during festivals and holidays. Through simple yet meaningful activities, local people are preserving and promoting the unique cultural identity of the Cao Lan people in their daily lives.

Members of the Cao Lan Cultural Preservation Club in Binh Thuan ward guide young generations in learning about Cao Lan traditions.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, women in the community gather forest pandan leaves, sticky rice, and mung beans to make chim gau cakes - a traditional specialty of the Cao Lan. The rice is soaked in natural plant extracts to create a beautiful purple hue, while the cakes are wrapped in pandan leaves shaped like birds, giving them a distinct aroma and flavor that embodies the spirit of the mountains.

Chim gau cakes of the Cao Lan people.

In 2022, Binh Thuan ward established the Cao Lan Cultural Preservation Club, comprising senior members from six residential groups. The club regularly organizes performances of Sinh ca songs and traditional dances such as the shrimp-catching dance, bird dance, and seed-sowing dance during community festivals.

Cao Lan women in residential group 7, Binh Thuan ward skillfully wrap chim gau cakes.

The club also partners with Doi Can Primary School to teach Sinh ca folk songs to students, helping them appreciate their ethnic heritage. Fourth-grader Tran Duy Long shared that he feels happy and proud to sing and perform Cao Lan songs with his grandmother at local events.

From a small weaving loom, Cao Lan women in residential group 7, Binh Thuan ward create useful handmade products for daily life.

With skillful hands and patience, local women weave items such as carrying straps and betel pouches - simple crafts that reflect their creativity and love for tradition. These modest efforts have helped revive and sustain Cao Lan cultural values, enriching the vibrant mosaic of ethnic cultures in Tuyen Quang Province.

Huyen Linh