The elegance of Khmer people’s traditional costume

5/24/2018 - 10:44:20 AM

The traditional costumes of the Khmer people, particularly of women, has been preserved for thousands of years, contributing the the cultural diversity of ethnic groups in Vietnam.

Khmer women dressed in costumes for celebrations (Photo: VNA)

Tri Ton and Tinh Bien districts, An Giang province, are home to a large number of Khmer people in Vietnam. The costumes of the Khmer people in An Giang are divided into daily costumes and costumes for celebrations.

The Khmer are famous for Tkat and Batik dying techniques which produce shiny black silk and cotton fabrics.

In their daily lives, Khmer women wear colourful collarless silk shirts which are embroidered with motifs of oval inlays, flowers and stripes. The dresses are a mixed ‘sarong’, a 3.5 metre long and one metre wide piece of delicately embroidered cloth, which is wrapped around the upper leg and the rest slipped between the two legs to make a short and bulging pants.

The traditional costume of Khmer men is a sarong, a long piece of delicately embroidered cloth. They also often wear a combination of sarongs and black blouses.

The elegance of the Khmer people’s traditional costumes are vividly represented at festivals and wedding celebrations. At weddings, Khmer people wear their most beautiful costumes. Female guests at the wedding are dressed in costumes in flamboyant colours: green, red, purple, and yellow.

The bride often wears a red or lotus pink gown and a short, sleeveless top. The gown and the top are closefitting thanks to a metal belt. The bride ties a golden silk scarf from her shoulder to her hip.

The bride also puts on a tower-shaped hat decorated as a beautiful crown with sparkling beads or embroidered flowers.

The groom wears a red Hol dress and long sleeved blouse. He ties a white scarf across his body and wears a knife on his belt as a symbol of protection for the bride.

Source: NDO

Bringing art to remote areas - promoting ethnic culture

Hoa Binh city - Vibrant community activities at cultural houses

Building a cultural conservation area for Muong ethnic group in Luy Ai hamlet

Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province, is widely regarded as the cultural heartland of the Muong ethnic group. Among its many traditional communities, Luy Ai hamlet (formerly Ai hamlet) stands out as a rare location where the customs and way of life of the Muong Bi people remain largely intact.

Truong Kha temple festival celebrates Muong cultural heritage

The Truong Kha temple festival, a distinctive cultural event held every three years in Vu Ban township, Lac Son district, returned recently with vibrant rituals and folk traditions of the Muong people. Located next to the Buoi River in the Muong Trao fields, the Truong Kha Temple is dedicated to the three Kun Dol deities, revered for teaching farming techniques, irrigation, weaving, and protecting the harvest.

Hoa Binh city residents enjoy upgraded cultural houses

The demand for spaces serving community activities of residents in various areas across Hoa Binh city has been satisfied as local cultural houses now feature modern, spacious facilities thanks to the effective implementation of Resolution No. 49/NQ-HDND issued on December 28, 2021 by the city People's Council, which approved the plan for reorganising, converting, and allocating land for the construction, repair, and expansion of cultural houses in Hoa Binh’s villages and residential areas until 2025.

Enhancing cultural and spiritual life in remote and ethnic minority areas

At the end of May, the Hoa Binh Provincial Ethnic Arts Troupe organized a series of performances for residents in Region 2 and Region 3 communes across the province. Bringing art to ethnic communities in remote, isolated, and especially disadvantaged areas has become a meaningful activity. These are not merely artistic performances but also journeys to disseminate cultural values, enrich spiritual life, and contribute to preserving the cultural identity of ethnic minorities.