Pa Then ethnic women in Ha Giang province have set up a brocade weaving cooperative in a bid to preserve the cultural values of their group as the traditional craft is facing a risk of sinking into oblivion.
In the past, almost all adult Pa Then women knew how to weave because they had to prepare new dresses for themselves on their weddings. Nowadays, not all girls know how to do this.
Phu Thi Thien, Tan Bac commune, Quang Binh district, Ha Giang province said Pa Then people’s traditional costumes have been preserved but the number of weavers is on the decrease. Nowadays, girls prefer doing other jobs to weaving. At present, only 40 percent of women, aged between 35-40, know how to weave.
To preserve the ethnic group’s traditional values, in 2008, the Women’s Union of My Bac village, Tan Bac commune, Quang Binh district in Ha Giang province established the Pa Then Brocade Weaving Cooperative to teach the craft to young people. The business now has more than 30 members, mostly Pa Then women. Their products are highly valued by tourists.
A tourist, Nguyen Van Thang, 35, said a special cultural product of the northwestern region that should be showcased at tourist sites in Ha Giang province and other regional localities.
The establishment of the cooperative has helped women in Tan Bac commune realize their dream of preserving the unique cultural beauty of the Pa Then costumes.
The cooperative’s brocade products have gained a foothold in the market of traditional products. They have been also displayed at many exhibitions of the traditional culture of Pa Then people.
(Source: VNA)
