Keeping the indigo tradition alive

Leaving the city behind, Nguyen Thuy Trang returned to her hometown in Group 10, Chang Hamlet, Ha Giang 1 Ward, to pursue traditional indigo dyeing. Through research and experimentation, she has revived natural dyeing techniques and created brocade products that embody the cultural identity of ethnic communities. Driven by her passion for heritage and a professional approach to craftsmanship, she is helping bring traditional crafts to domestic and international markets.

Nguyen Thuy Trang creates a beeswax painting on brocade fabric for an order from China.

Born and raised in a Tay ethnic village, Trang grew up surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of traditional indigo clothing and handloom weaving. After graduating from the National Economics University of Commerce, she chose to return to her hometown rather than pursue career opportunities in the city, following her passion for the traditional attire and culture of the mountainous region.

While visiting highland markets, Trang noticed that many products sold as indigo-dyed fabric were actually dyed with industrial chemicals or produced using improper natural dyeing techniques. As a result, their colours faded quickly and their quality was inconsistent. Determined to preserve the traditional craft, she travelled to villages in Hoang Su Phi and Xin Man to learn from the Nung U people, studying how to make indigo paste from different indigo plants through an intricate process of soaking, fermenting and adding lime.

To improve product quality, Trang continued experimenting with natural materials such as stream-snail shells, corn kernels and củ nâu (a natural dye source). She also refined her dyeing techniques to achieve lasting colour, a lustrous finish and softer fabric. For her, indigo dyeing is not merely a handicraft but an art that requires meticulous attention, patience and an understanding of natural conditions.

For Thuy Trang, indigo dyeing is an art in its own right.

Having established a reliable supply of quality indigo fabric, Trang expanded into beeswax-resist painting, creating patterns inspired by plants, flowers, birds and the philosophy of living in harmony with nature. She also designed an improved copper drawing pen to enhance precision and produce more delicate, intricate patterns.

Alongside her brocade paintings, Trang designs environmentally friendly indigo fabric bags for everyday use and the souvenir market. Her products have gained recognition among domestic customers and have also been exported to France and China.

A beeswax painting on indigo-dyed fabric by Thuy Trang.

Her workshop currently provides regular employment for three to four local workers, each earning a stable monthly income of more than VND 5 million. Through her journey, Nguyen Thuy Trang is demonstrating that preserving heritage means more than safeguarding traditions from the past. It also involves innovation, developing traditional crafts into sustainable livelihoods and bringing local cultural values to a wider audience.

Giang Lam