The Central Highlands’ province of Lam Dong is home to four brocade weaving villages of local ethnic minority people. In a bid to preserve the traditional cultural identity of the K’Ho people, artisans in Ka Tung village, Dam Rong district, are working with local authorities to restore and preserve their traditional craft of brocade weaving.
At the age of 87, K’Poh still sits at her loom every day. She said she learned the craft from her mother when she was very young. At first, it took her 2 weeks to weave one glove. The craft requires perseverance and hard work, and she has worked to pass on the profession to her own daughter.
Her daughter is now well-versed in the trade, and has worked with her mother since 2019 to teach others in the commune.
At first, there were only 20 women learning how to weave, but now the craft is recovering more strongly as people teach each other. They often weave at home, during their leisure time, and gather together to learn more.
Da Long commune is the most remote area in Lam Dong province, with difficulties in travel and trade, so the weaving craft is passed along by people to meet their own needs in clothing and other items. The roads are better these days, which helps with integration but has resulted in the weaving profession gradually falling into oblivion. Restoration of the craft is therefore receiving special attention from local authorities.
Though it is not a task that can be done in a day, the preservation of the weaving craft is perfectly feasible with local authorities and people coming together. It not only contributes to preserving traditional cultural values, but also to improving the livelihoods of local ethnic minority people. (VietnamPlus [1])