Discovery The Unique Culture Of The Red Dao In Sapa, Vietnam
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Take part in Red Dao ethnic embroidery class
Tamay, 45, and mother of 3 is one of the many ethnic minority women employed at Ethos Spirit of Community for her traditional textile expertise and local knowledge. The spectacular sunny morning of our day together came after a bitterly cold 3 day snow down with shocking sub zero temperatures. After buying food for lunch from the local market we motorbiked from Sapa down to Ta Phin village before dismounting for a short 30 minute hike up the hills towards Tamay’s home.
Tamay’s house was a simple structure perched on the precipice of the hill over looking the valley and neighboring Red Dao families below. It was made from wooden planks with a huge open plan interior that had a wood stove fire in the middle of the room for cooking. There were out houses providing shelter for small livestock, vegetable and fruit plantations, an outdoor toilet and herbal bath. We decide the best place to enjoy the embroidery lesson would be outside soaking up the much welcomed sun.
Exceptional Ethnic Embroidery
Embroidery skills are extremely important in ethnic minority life. No Red Dao women is seen as fit to marry or even desirable until she has sewn her own clothes. Tamay started learning from her mother at the age of 7 and is now considered one of the most accomplished and respected artisans in her community. Designs representing village life and animist mysticism such as stars, trees, rice terraces and family are meticulously stitched in silk with pin point precision. Every new year it is the wife’s duty to make a new set of clothes for her husband and children in time for Tet holiday at the end of January. Each Red Dao traditional dress includes a intensely embroidered knee length jacket, trousers, belt, necklace and head dress, consuming all their free time after chores for the whole year round.
The Traditional Technique
Don’t even know how to explain how complicated and time consuming Red Dao embroidery is. The process starts by dividing the silk threads into 3s and twisting them together between the skin on your knee and the palm of your hand. Each stitch is sewn in and out of the tightly woven warp and weft threads in a black cotton fabric. Tamay and her peers must have the eye sight of an eagle as not a single stitch is in the wrong place. Ever. The symbolic motifs and patterns are sewn from the reverse side of the fabric and the sequence of the stitches used to create the design is recalled from memory. It is not simply cross stitch. It took over 3 hours for me to sew that one tree. I can’t even begin to contemplate the patience and perseverance required to sew your clothes this way little by little every day.
Textile Tours
It’s one thing to look and admire a piece of textiles for sale in a shop or from a street vendor but it’s another to spend a day with the person that made the product to practice their craftsmanship for yourself. I always appreciated the Red Dao’s exceptional embroidery skills but now I know how long it takes and how undervalued their products and time are sold for. I strongly recommend this textile tour with Tamay for anyone interested in traditional dress and culture in order to gain perspective and truly understand this unique ethnic art form. To book your day with Tamay contact Ethos Spirit of Community direct.
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Reviews from Customers
Please take a look at the following reviews from our customers
James Madison
08/31/2018
Excellent experience
It was an experience, that you will never forget, how it would have been during the war, with no light, food and much air and space. If you are able it is definitely worth going in the tunnel. It is not very long and a little bit of light and air. We will come back Cu Chi Tunnels again
James Madison
08/31/2018
Excellent experience
It was an experience, that you will never forget, how it would have been during the war, with no light, food and much air and space. If you are able it is definitely worth going in the tunnel. It is not very long and a little bit of light and air
Sow Fung
07/15/2015
Great time with the Halong bay & Bai Tu Long bay
Hello Hung ! A big hello from the us. We are checked into Queen hotel and also have been given free access to the internet for 1 night! Thank you for getting a wonderful trip - we had a lot of fun with the Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay cruise, as well since the memorable "picnic" on the actual private beach with white We will have some more days to explore this particular exotic city you known as home, and will be bringing back around many fond of reminiscences Take care Sow Fung & Laurence.
Lucie & Ruud
07/15/2015
Memorial trip Vietnam
Hi Nam, As promised some pictures from the great trip to Vietnam. We'd a marvelous time and also have good memories to your countrie and also the people there. We enjoyed the trip greatly, you did a great job. Say hello towards the driver. Greatings from Lucie as well as Ruud.
Martin - Denmark
07/15/2015
Thank you
Hello Giang What a nice surprise to know from you. Here in little Denmark we're approching the authum and also the weather is not such as in Vietnam: -( the sun i shinning however the tempeture is only 5 C so it's the beginning to obtain colder.As you know the two of us started on our brand new jobs on September 17 and sofar it's been a very good but additionally very busy period for that both of us. We really enjoyed our vacation in Vietnam and much because of your effort in telling all of us about Vietnam and bringing us nearer to the local Vietnam lifestyle. I promised you an image of our house as well as I enclosed one within this mail. Next week we are experiencing some very good buddies visiting us and by then I must finalize the "video" of all of the about 1100 pictues that people took during our journey. But right now it's a video lasting over two hours so I will need to shorten it for almost 1 hour. But we have some excellent memories connected to nearly every picture - so that isn't a very easy job. I took the freedom to send two of those to you here additionally. We are "in our minds" ready planing the next day at Vietnam but we don't know when it will end up being yet - but if it rises north don´t worry we will demand you. I hope this particular mail goes well. We both whish you best wishes for the future and we don't doubt that you together with your skills will acchive your own goal. Yours sincerly Helle as well as Martin.
Mr. James Duffy - Program Manager - Indian
07/15/2015
Thank you for your sense of responsibility, courtesy and your hospitality
Dear Mr. Dzung Nguyen, Regards. I must thank you for the sense of responsibility, courtesy as well as your hospitality, which enhance image of the country. I started loving your country as well as your countrymen. When I investigated your vietnam history, I'm really amazed. Covey my thanks to your company for having provided a great service for my vietnam visit. I have not given anything great like a quantity of business. However, You respected me and encouraged me to return again to Vietnam, after i first time could not enter your country. I would always remember you and getting excited about your visit to Indian. Thanks a lot. Your own truly,
Chin Choo
07/15/2015
Wonderful time in Hanoi and Halong Bay
Dear Phu Hope this postal mail finds you well. I returned to Malaysia last 7 days. I had a wonderful amount of time in Hanoi and Halong Bay. Thanks to the nice people who I met during the trip in addition to thanks to you to be such a wonderful visit guide. I will certainly visit Hanoi again. I attach a few of the photos which I took throughout the Halong Bay trip that you should see. How are things along with you? That's all for right now. Regards Chin Choo.
Alicia
07/15/2015
Thank you for wonderful Hanoi & Halong Bay trip
Hello Giang, Just wanted to give you thanks for taking our team (St John Bosco) close to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. You taught us a lot and we all skipped you after we remaining for Sapa. There is really a photo attached to this email for you personally. Hope you are nicely, from Alicia.
Erika and Bruno.
07/15/2015
Good time in Vietnam
Hi Sing! Hello Chochichäschtli! (The new word that you simply lerned about the furniture within the kitchen) Howe are you? We had a excellent time in Vietnam. The north part as well as the area in the southern was very interesting. Concerning the weather we are lucky because we'd always sunny days as well as hot. Now we're in the cold Switzerland. Any days ago we'd for this wintertime the first snow. Best regards and a great time whithout rain!! Silvia as well as Pius Erika and Bruno.
