Craft villages by ethinics

The great majority of ethnic minority crafts are designed purely for functional use in rural society. The ethnic minorities of Việt Nam are perhaps best known for their handwoven textiles, produced in a great variety of different traditional designs, colours and weaves. Notable examples are the indigo-dyed cloth of the H'mông, Tày and Nùng and the finely worked brocade of the H'mông, Dao, Pà Thẻn, Phù Lá, Hà Nhì, La Hù and Lô Lô of northern Việt Nam and the Gia-rai, Ê-đê, Xtiêng and Cơ-tu of the central highlands.

Basket weaving is prevalent in many areas and includes the production of numerous artefacts ranging from mats and containers to hats and fish traps. For example, the ethnic Khmers are famous for their beautifully decorated bowls with lids, open baskets, mats and pouches made of natural or dyed rushes. The Chăm and several central highland ethnicities (Gia-rai, Ê-đê, Xtiêng, Chơ-ro, Ra-glai) are also renowned for their skills in this ancient craft.

Woodcarving is more commonly associated with the production of everyday items, including traps (fishpots, pits, cages), cross bows, spears, bows and arrows, tobacco pipes, bowls, spoons and combs. Certain ethnic communities also preserve the art of creating musical instruments such as lutes, fiddles, flutes, reed trumpets, mouth organs and ideophones, which are manufactured from a variety of natural materials including gourd and bamboo.

The Mường, Khơ-mú, Lô Lô and Pu Péo communities of the far north continue to utilise bronze drums in their propitiation ceremonies. In contrast the ritual bronze gongs (cồng, chiêng) utilised by the Mường of north west Việt Nam and the majority of the central highland ethnicities continue to be manufactured widely.

Now, please discover the hiden charm of crafts made by different ethnic minorities in Vietnam…