With skillful hands and rich imaginations, the Mong women in Che Cu Nha commune, Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province have utilized beeswax to create unique decorative patterns on traditional brocade, enhancing the beauty of various products such as handbags, wallets, scarves, and clothing.

Che Cu Nha commune is known for its traditional craft of weaving brocade. The majority of the locals here dress in traditional costumes made from fabric woven from fibers of the flax plant, with decorative patterns created using the beeswax drawing technique. The Mong employ melted beeswax to draw on the fabric's surface, covering the desired parts. After the drawing, the fabric is dyed and boiled in water. During the boiling process, the beeswax melts into the boiling water, revealing the intricate patterns.

Ly Thi Ninh is one of the most skilled women proficient in the techniques of embroidery, weaving, and beeswax drawing in Trong Tong hamlet. She began learning beeswax drawing from her grandmother and mother when she was just five years old. Ninh said that the beeswax patterns on the dresses and baby carriers of the Mong are not only a reflection of their life but also a source of pride and love for all of them in the Mong community.

Ninh added that the chosen fabric is made from flax plant fibers, skillfully woven by the Mong into white fabric sheets. The drawing tool is a bamboo-handled pen with a small, round-edged copper tip at each end, which can hold melted beeswax. Beeswax is actually sourced from wild beehives. It can only be used for drawing when in a melted state.

Therefore, during the beeswax drawing process, the artisan must sit near a smoke-filled charcoal stove, with a bowl of beeswax always kept on the stove. The drawings and patterns are created following the artisan's ideas. Once the drawing is complete, the fabric transforms into a rather intricate masterpiece, with brown and yellow beeswax patterns on the white fabric.

After the beeswax drawing process, the Mong proceed to the indigo treatment and dyeing. Fresh indigo leaves and branches are soaked in water for several days. After removing the residue, powdered lime is added to the mixture and thoroughly stirred. The indigo powder and lime will settle at the bottom of the jar. When the water has drained away, the indigo paste at the bottom is retained. To prepare the dyeing liquid, the Mong people mix indigo paste with welldrained ash water, supplemented with alcohol and several types of leaves.

The cultural beauty of traditional brocade made by the Mong women in Che Cu Nha. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP

To achieve a deep and color-fast indigo, the fabric undergoes multiple dyeing sessions. It is soaked in indigo liquid and then sun-dried and this process is repeated several times. During the dyeing process, it's important to handle the fabric gently and carefully to prevent the beeswax patterns from cracking, ensuring the designs remain crisp.

With the desire to showcase the unique techniques of her ethnic group, Ly Thi Ninh demonstrated the art of beeswax drawing on fabric and the indigo dyeing process of the Mong at the Craft Link space located at 51 Van Mieu, Hanoi. This exhibition attracted numerous international visitors and locals in Hanoi.

There are various products such as bags, belts, tablecloths, and clothing made from the special fabric, by the traditional Mong brocade weaving cooperative of Che Cu Nha. These products are prominently displayed and sold at the Craft Link store at 51 Van Mieu, Hanoi, allowing people to appreciate and acquire these exquisite pieces of traditional craftsmanship.

Tran Tuyet Lan, director of Craft Link, stated that after three years of implementing the project "Developing unique tourism products in western Yen Bai with a vision by 2030," the traditional cultural beauty of Mong brocade from Che Cu Nha has been preserved, developed, and widely introduced to the international community. The workshop on the art of beeswax drawing on fabric by artisan Ly Thi Ninh, held in Hanoi, serves as a community-connecting activity to showcase the indigenous cultural charm of the ethnic community to international friends as well as domestic visitors in Hanoi./.

The workshop on the art of beeswax drawing on fabric by artisan Ly Thi Ninh, held in Hanoi. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP

Story: Bich Van    Photos: Viet Cuong/VNP & Craft Link’s Files    Translated by Nguyen Tuoi