Intangible cultural heritage of Lao people in Dien Bien – Identity preserved and spread

Dien Bien – a land rich in cultural traditions with 19 ethnic groups living together – has long been known as a treasure trove of rich and unique heritage.

In that colorful picture, the Lao people are a prominent feature, contributing to enriching the cultural identity of the province. In 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially announced "Decorative art on Lao costumes" in the communes of Na Son, Xa Dung, Muong Luan, Thanh Yen, Sam Mun, Nua Ngam... as a national intangible cultural heritage.

This is not only the pride of the Lao ethnic community but also a testament to the attention of the Party and State in honoring, preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage associated with local socio-economic development.

The Lao ethnic group in Dien Bien currently resides in 23 villages, belonging to nearly 10 communes after the merger. Over many generations, the Lao people have preserved and developed the brocade weaving craft as an inseparable part of their spiritual life. The decorative art on their costumes is not only the product of skillful hands, but also the crystallization of folk knowledge, history and community beliefs.

The traditional costume of Lao women includes a shirt, skirt, headscarf, and belt, all made from indigo-dyed fabric. On that fabric, elaborate hand-embroidered motifs such as elephants, dragons, peacocks, flowers, leaves, etc. are skillfully combined with many colors of thread, creating brilliant but harmonious patterns. Each pattern not only has aesthetic value but also contains spiritual meaning, such as wishing good luck, protecting health, and warding off evil spirits for the wearer.

Leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dien Bien province awarded the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Certificate to artisans holding this type of art.

To create a complete costume, Lao women must go through many meticulous steps, from choosing cotton, spinning, dyeing indigo to weaving and embroidering. Each needle and thread contains love for the homeland, national pride, demonstrating aesthetic level and creativity preserved over hundreds of years. It is these brilliant brocade fabrics that have become cultural symbols, contributing to affirming the unique identity of Lao people in the midst of modernity.

The inclusion of “Lao costume decoration art” in the list of national intangible cultural heritage is an important legal and scientific basis, creating motivation to preserve and promote traditional cultural values. Not only this heritage, Dien Bien province currently has 20 national intangible cultural heritages, in which the Lao people contribute 3 typical heritages: Costume decoration art, Water splashing festival and Dance art.

Weaving Laotian brocade costumes.

In particular, the Lao community is also proud to have two artisans awarded the title of “Meritorious Artisan” by the President in the field of intangible cultural heritage. These are “living treasures” that play an important role in preserving and teaching cultural quintessence to the younger generation, contributing to enriching the country’s heritage treasure.

Over the past years, the Dien Bien provincial government has had many synchronous solutions to preserve and promote the heritage value of the Lao people. Training classes and brocade weaving are regularly held, helping the younger generation not only learn weaving and embroidery techniques but also deeply understand the meaning of each motif and pattern. In addition, communes with a large number of Lao people have organized competitions in making costumes, weaving brocade, performing traditional costumes, etc. to widely introduce this unique cultural beauty to the people and tourists.

Trade promotion activities, brand building and market expansion for brocade products such as dresses, scarves, handbags, etc. have also been promoted. Many households have taken advantage of traditional weaving to develop community tourism, create jobs and increase income, contributing to poverty reduction, improving the material and spiritual life of the people.

However, in the context of current integration and cultural exchange, the brocade weaving craft and the art of decorating Lao costumes are facing the risk of extinction. Modern lifestyles, fast and cheap consumption demand make many young people less interested in traditional crafts. Therefore, at the announcement and awarding of heritage certificates, the leaders of Dien Bien province called on the Lao ethnic community to raise awareness and determination to preserve the weaving craft, to preserve each pattern and each piece of fabric as if preserving the soul of the nation.

Ethnic Festival at Dien Bien Festival 2025

At the same time, teaching the love of national culture to the younger generation is considered a key solution. Only when the younger generation understands, appreciates and is proud of its identity, can heritage continue to live on, not only in festivals but also in everyday life.

The intangible cultural heritage of the Lao people in Dien Bien is not only the pride of the community but also the common property of the nation. The recognition and honoring of these values ​​has opened up opportunities to promote the image of Dien Bien - a land rich in identity - to domestic and foreign friends, while creating momentum for the development of cultural tourism and improving the economic life of the people.

From indigo threads, from each meticulous needlepoint, Lao women have woven not only brilliant brocades, but also memories, beliefs and aspirations. That is the enduring vitality of heritage - a strong testament to the connection between the past and the present, between tradition and the future. Preserving and promoting the intangible cultural heritage of the Lao people not only preserves identity, but also contributes to affirming the cultural position of Dien Bien in today's integration flow.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/dia-phuong/di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-cua-dan-toc-lao-tai-dien-bien-ban-sac-duoc-gin-giu-va-lan-toa-20250924112642635.htm