LÀO CAI In the highlands of Lào Cai, where mist drifts across mountain slopes and traditions are stitched into daily life, the Pa Di people are fighting to keep their cultural identity alive.

At the heart of this effort is their traditional costume — a living craft that carries memory, belief and belonging, and now stands at the centre of renewed preservation work in Mường Khương Commune.

Pa Di elders recall that their people designed the traditional hat with its unique shape, drawing inspiration from local architecture to honour their ancestry and lineage.

Artisan Pờ Chin Dín from Chúng Chải B Village said the hat is made from hand-woven linen. Multiple layers of beeswax are applied to stiffen the fabric, and the top is folded into the classic roof shape.

“The hat symbolises a family’s prosperity and warmth, which is why it is a cherished gift a mother-in-law gives her daughter-in-law when welcoming a new member into the family,” Dín said.

Pa Di women’s attire is made from hand-woven natural materials and coloured with natural dyes, predominantly indigo with accents of green and black. 

Silver jewellery shaped like locks, roosters and fish symbolises wealth, prosperity and harmony with nature, reflecting gratitude for the life it provides. Through simple and heartfelt ideas and skilled craftsmanship, Pa Di women have created a distinctive and humble aesthetic unique to their community.

Dín noted that a complete Pa Di outfit takes two to three months to make, or up to a year if done intermittently, since every step is handcrafted.

Recognising the artistic value of their embroidered clothing, in 2020 the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially designated the decorative clothing art of the Pa Di people as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Efforts to revitalise heritage

Preserving traditional clothing is challenging for ethnic communities, and it is even more difficult for small groups like the Pa Di.

Pờ Mìn Thủy, who was born and raised in Tả Chu Phùng Village, nestled on a misty mountainside, recalled that Pa Di children wore traditional attire from a young age. However, as modern life has taken hold, these garments are gradually disappearing.

Elders here worry that without passing down weaving, dyeing and sewing skills, both the craft and the unique identity of Pa Di clothing will be lost, Thủy said.

To preserve traditional cultural identity and revitalise this heritage, the Mường Khương authority has recently organised classes on the decorative clothing art of the Pa Di people, with master artisans and village elders teaching young people how to weave and sew, helping to safeguard the knowledge for future generations.

Lào Cai Province began a project on preserving the traditional costumes of local ethnic groups for tourism development in 2021, collecting and photographing Pa Di clothing, jewellery and patterns for display at the provincial museum. People are encouraged to wear traditional attire during festivals, conferences, cultural exchange programmes, and sporting events.

Dương Tuấn Nghĩa, deputy director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the value and charm of Lào Cai’s traditional cultural heritage are reaching far and wide, inspiring pride and a greater sense of preservation.

With an approach geared towards turning heritage into assets, the locality aims to leverage culture as an internal resource for socio-economic development, he added. VNA/VNS