Locals preserve value of Vietnamese brocade

Many makers of brocade are trying to preserve their weaving culture and seeking financial support.

The second Vietnam Brocade Culture Festival which is taking place in Dak Nong province aims to attract investment in preserving the traditional handicraft.

Ka Mom from the Chau Mạ ethnic group in Loc Tan commune in Lam Dong province’s Bao Lam district noted that the commune has more than 500 women who know how to weave brocade. Some are from families that have been weaving for three generations.

Ka formed a brocade weaving cooperative about three years ago with 15 members, who were offered a VND5 million loan per person by the Women's Union.

However, the cooperative disbanded after the Women’s Union decided to stop funding its members after a year of operation.

“It's very challenging to make products and find sales outputs on our own,” Ka said.
VND1.5 million per month after excluding daily expenses, members of the cooperative have been pursuing their passion for a long time.

Except for a few people who love ethnic brocade, many locals, especially young people, have switched to working at factories to earn higher incomes, she said.

Since brocade products are usually sold to international tourists, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to keep the industry going.

“We cannot promote our products efficiently with such an income. We want to take part in more festivals to sell our products and exchange experiences with other artists," Minh said.

"We also seek financial support for professional machinery used to make fabric, while weaving the brocade parts manually. Most importantly, we are looking for better ways for our products to be circulated and consumed."

Authorities in some provinces have focused on the preservation of brocade weaving and have organised training courses for ethnic minority women in recent years.

However, because of the country's global integration and economic transition, it is challenging to fully preserve the beauty of brocade weaving profession.

Skilled artists have become older, and many youngsters are not passionate enough about the trade to pursue a career.

Chairman of the Dak Nong Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Dinh Trung said that brocade has contributed to the solidarity and cultural diversity of 54 ethnic groups.

“It is a cultural bridge between us. Let’s join hands to bring Vietnamese brocade closer to people, especially foreign visitors!” he said.

In order for the profession to thrive, authorities should create incentives to encourage artists in Dak Nong province to search for markets at tourist destinations by themselves, set up stores of brocade products, and collaborate with other cooperatives or trading companies to expand the market, Trung said.