HUNDRED YEARS OF CHUONG VILLAGE OF THE CONICAL HAT
Not only the village where the craft has been handed down through generations, Chuong is also a popular destination for tourists because in addition to learning about the process of making rustic and charming tourists can experience many beautiful cultural features of the Vietnamese lifestyle.
NOT ONLY THE VILLAGE WHERE THE CRAFT HAS BEEN HANDED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS, CHUONG IS ALSO A POPULAR DESTINATION FOR TOURISTS BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO LEARNING ABOUT THE PROCESS OF MAKING RUSTIC AND CHARMING HATS, TOURISTS CAN EXPERIENCE MANY BEAUTIFUL CULTURAL FEATURES OF THE VIETNAMESE LIFESTYLE.
“WHOEVER WANTS A BEAUTIFUL CONICAL HAT SHOULD COME TO CHUONG VILLAGE”
Located over 30 km from the center of Hanoi, in Phuong Trung commune, Thanh Oai district, Chuong conical hat village is well-known for its special product. The conical hat of Chuong village is famous for its discreet charm and durability and has featured in a long ago folk song.
The tradition of making conical hats began more than 300 years ago, but the Chuong villagers do not know exactly how their ancestors created the hats. The elders said that the white conical hats of Chuong village often were presented to members of royalty such as queens and princesses. According to historical records, Hai Cat, a village artisan, brought the Xuan Kieu hat (also known as Ba Don hat) to the village to replace the previous models. At the Ha Dong fair in 1930, Hai Cat’s products were highly appreciated by visitors, earning him a certificate from the authorities to provide vocational training to his fellow hatmakers in Ha Dong, Hanoi, Hai Duong and Hai Phong. The name “Xuan Kieu” stands for a beautiful girl on a sunny spring day. It’s also called “Thanh” due to its charming shape.
In the past, Chuong village produced many types of hats such as non ba tam for young women, non nho, non long, non dau and non chop for young men and gentlemen. However, since 1940, the villagers here making only the one most popular conical hat.
Chuong village hat market is held every month of lunar calendar on the 4th, 10th, 14th, 20th, 24th and 30th. There are 6 market days a month and 72 market days a year.
The main session market days are the 4th and 10th every month. The market meets very early and ends only a few hours later. Market visitors can buy hats as well as buy hat materials, from palms to bamboo hems, and watch how the locals make a normal conical hat at the market. Chuong villagers all know how to make hats: the children even know how to hold needles to sew hats before they can hold pen to write. In Chuong village, it’s easy to see the local women and girls sew hats together in
their houses or in the public places. They make hats and chit-chat in a warm atmosphere of the neighborhood.
SKILLFUL HANDS KEEPING THE TRADITION
The Chuong village’s hat looks simple, but it requires patience and meticulousness to produce. The necessary materials to make a hat are palm leaves, threads and hat frames. The palm is an important material, taken from two kinds of palm trees in hilly areas. Young palm leaves are cut and dried two to three times, then ironed. Before ironing, the hatmakers use a wet hot towel to rub lightly on the leaves to straighten them and avoid discoloration.
The construction of a cone is thought to be a difficult part because it determines the roundness and durability of a hat. A conical frame is made of strong and firm bamboo cord, including 16 rims. The rims are gradually smaller to the tip of the cone, creating a conical frame.
Every knot in the cone is made of rope or rattan, making it very solid and beautiful. This is considered a mandatory formula that has been refined through the experience of many generations of the Chuong hatmakers.
The most difficult part of the process is the spinning stage, which decides the aesthetics of the hat. This requires a highly skilled, careful and meticulous hatmaker to make the hat smooth. The hatmaker must be skillful when spinning hats in order not to expose the tip and to make the leaves even to avoid being stained. In particular, the stitches must be short and their holes must be small so then the hats are round, tight and smooth from the edge to the stitch.
After finishing a hat, the hatmaker exposes it briefly to sulfur to make it whiter, then rubs oil on the hat to make it glossy, to keep away mold, and to preserve the shape. A fast hatmaker can complete two hats per day.
In addition to keeping up the tradition of the Xuan Kieu hat, the Chuong villagers also maintain the technique of making non quai thao through all of the heart and enthusiasm of the elderly artisans. Because of all of their work, their traditions can be developed and preserved.
In Chuong village market, visitors can see girls help their mothers sell hats and learn how to sew hats. Each hat is filled with the emotions and passions of many generations of this professional village.