Brocade scarf - beauty of Thai community’s culture

  •  Wednesday, February 22, 2023

YBO - Brocade scarf, is an indispensable item of every Thai girl. Brocade scarf is not only used to keep warm, and protect them from the sunlight and wind, but also a highlight that brings the unique charm to the traditional costumes of Thai women.

Brocade scarves of Thai people in Nghia Lo-Muong Lo area are manually made. They have bright colours with the key colour being pink, are woven with patterns such as ban (bauhinia) flowers, lemon flowers, diamond shape, and"khau cut” (the distinctive symbol of the black Thai's stilt house). They are embellished with blue, red and yellow colours to highlight the patterns. The two ends of the scarf have tassels to make it softer and more graceful.

Brocade scarves deeply show the cultural beauty of Thai people and the values of their traditional cotton growing and weaving craft. They also manifest Thai people’s views on human lives and the world, as well as their love of nature and the talent and ingenuity of Thai women. Today, brocade scarves are one of the cultural symbols of the Thai ethnic group, which are popular in homestays in Nghia Lo town for decoration and gifts for tourists.

Luong Thi Hong Chung, owner of Hong Chung homestay of Chao Ha 1 hamlet, NghiaLoi commune of Nghia Lo town, said that among the tourism products to promote Thai people’s cultural identity, she often introduces to visitors the Thai Xoe dance, gifts them with brocade scarves, and invites them to join the dance. This not only aims to promote their community’s culture but shows their hospitality as well, she said.

During festivals, especially annual Muong Lo cultural-tourism festival with the impressive Xoe dance, Thai girls are charming in their traditional costume and brocade scarves moving flexibly with the beats of drums and gongs, leaving a strong impression on visitors.

In the modern and integrated life today, many new designs and kinds of convenient scarf have been introduced, but the brocade scarf of Thai people has still been treasured and popular among the local community as an indelible feature of the Thai culture.

Thu Hanh