Arousing pride in traditional ethnic costumes

Lang Son is home to various unique cultural values of ethnic groups. In particular, traditional costumes are one of the important cultural elements, contributing to reflecting the distinctive identity of each ethnic group. In recent years, all levels and sectors in the province have implemented many practical solutions to preserve and promote traditional costumes.

People prepare to participate in Lang Son City’s Ethnic Cultural Festival in 2023

On July 3, 2019, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Plan 117 on the implementation of the Project “Preserving and promoting traditional costumes of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in the current period”. Contributing to this, relevant levels and sectors in the province have paid attention to implementing many practical measures. Mr. Phan Van Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: “Following the direction of the Provincial People’s Committee, the Department has developed a plan to implement the project, divided it into several stages with the aim of choosing, researching, preserving and promoting traditional costumes of ethnic minorities in the province that have typical and unique values. Furthermore, investments are made to create conservation methods and measures associated with tourism development…”

Accordingly, the preservation of ethnic costumes is divided into 2 phases: From 2019 to 2025 and from 2026 to 2030. In the 1^st phase from 2019 to present, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has reviewed, inventoried and compiled a list of intangible cultural heritage on traditional costumes, inventoried, researched and built a database of scientific films about ethnic costumes. Specifically, the sector has created 253 inventory sheets minor ethnic costumes in the province and collected about 450 artifacts of ethnic costumes and related artifacts. Additionally, a festival has been organized to perform ethnic folk singing costumes; a number of souvenir products about traditional costumes have been developed; seminars have been opened to clarify the role and position of traditional costumes in the cultural and social life of the Lang Son ethnic community.

Together with functional sectors, the government of districts and Lang Son city and that of smaller levels, related organizations have also encouraged officials, civil servants, public employees and workers of minor ethnic groups to wear their traditional costumes to the office on anniversaries, holidays…

Mr. Leo Van Hiep, Vice Chairman of Binh Gia District People’s Committee, said: “In recent years, the District People’s Committee has focused on preserving and promoting the value of ethnic costumes. Solutions include propaganda to raise public awareness, to encourage people to wear ethnic costumes on holidays and anniversaries; to research and restore the process of sewing and embroidering ethnic costumes… In addition, the People’s Committee of the district, communes and towns encourage people to wear ethnic costumes in meetings, festivals, events, and art culture exchanges. For example, at the Harvest Festival in Mong An commune (10^th of the 1^st lunar month), the District People’s Committee launched the Traditional Costume Week of Binh Gia district in 2023. The week has become a meaningful event, attracting more than 6,000 officials, party members and people.”

In addition to Binh Gia district, districts and Lang Son city in the province also launched movements to wear traditional costumes by building cultural spaces through events. Typically in 2022, the ethnic cultural festivals with traditional costume wearing activities were organized by Cao Loc, Bac Son, Loc Binh districts… Most recently in October 2023, Chi Lang District People’s Committee and Lang Son City People’s Committee opened their own Ethnic Cultural Festivals… Thereby, they received a positive response from all walks of life in the province.

Ms. Ha Thi Hue, Huu Nghi area, Dong Mo town said: “I am Tay ethnic. My family and other families in the village all have our traditional costumes and we often wear them on holidays, New Year and important family and clan events. Responding to the movement launched by the District People’s Committee, this year many of friends, colleagues and I (including many people who are not ethnic minorities) have worn ethnic costumes. It is a way in which we express our pride in our traditional costumes.”

Ms. Tran Ngoc Anh, Co Bi commune, Gia Lam district, Hanoi city said: “A few days ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the Ethnic Cultural Festivals of Lang Son city and I was extremely impressed by its scale. The most impressive thing for me was the colorful costumes of the ethnic people of Xu Lang in that day. It made me further understand about the land and people here.”

With the efforts of the Party Committees, authorities at all levels in the province and the consensus of all classes of people, we believe that the beauty of the traditional costumes of the people of all ethnic groups in Lang Son will continue to be preserved and promote and become the unique cultural beauty of Xu Lang.