Dao Thanh Y people in Eo village preserve their cultural identity

Nestled along the Lo river, Eo village in Xuan Van commune (Yen Son district, Tuyen Quang province) is home to a 100% Dao Thanh Y ethnic community. While the origins of the name “Eo” remain a mystery even to the elders, the village stands out for preserving its unique cultural identity amid the fast-paced modern life with vibrant pao dung melodies, intricate brocade patterns, and a tranquil way of living.

Members of the Eo Village Youth Club for Preserving Ethnic Cultural Identity embroider traditional costumes together.

In the heart of the village, Dang Thi Thom, Party Cell Secretary, Head of the Village Fatherland Front Committee, and President of the Eo Village Youth Club for Preserving Ethnic Cultural Identity, can often be found carefully embroidering a traditional bib for her daughter. Thom wasn’t born into the traditions of singing and sewing. Still, as younger generations gradually drifted away from their native language, traditional clothing, and folk songs, she became determined to revive the fading cultural threads.

In 2015, as Youth Union Secretary of the village, Thom teamed up with local officials to establish the cultural preservation club. Since its founding, the club has maintained a stable group of 28 members, mostly young women, eager to learn and pass down the Dao Thanh Y traditions. Under the guidance of elders and artisans, members are taught how to embroider sacred patterns, craft headpieces, and sew signature garments such as the white waist sash - a symbol worn by married women, featuring ancestral Chinese characters embodying Dao values of morality, filial piety, and womanhood.

Thanks to structured and consistent efforts, the club’s influence has spread far beyond Eo village. Members now regularly perform at cultural events and inter-village exchanges. More notably, fellow Dao Thanh Y communities, like those in Tan Long commune, have traveled to Eo to learn the pao dung love songs, dances, and embroidery techniques. Some even copied lyrics by hand into school notebooks to preserve the knowledge. Inspired by these visits, new cultural clubs have sprung up elsewhere.

Dang Thi Thom, Party Cell Secretary, Head of the Village Fatherland Front Committee, and President of the Eo Village Youth Club for Preserving Ethnic Cultural Identity.

Remarkably, the village’s cultural revival has also created new sources of income. Women in Eo now sell hand-embroidered scarves, bibs, and traditional long dresses, not only within the province but also to customers as far as Quang Ninh.

Ly Thi Ngoan, a recent high school graduate and new club member, shared: “Watching my mother and grandmother pour their hearts into every stitch makes me realize my responsibility to carry on our cultural heritage.”

In Eo village, even when the elders are no longer able to sing or sew, the spirit of the Dao people will live on. Thanks to passionate young people like Dang Thi Thom and the next generation, the echoes of Eo, including the songs, the stitches, the soul, will continue to resonate.

Tran Lien