Hmong women in Nam Nghep, Ngoc Chien commune, embroider their traditional clothing.

Ngoc Chien commune currently has 15 villages, of which 7 are inhabited by the Mong ethnic group, preserving and developing many cultural traditions. Visiting these Mong villages, it's not uncommon to see women sitting on their porches, meticulously embroidering and sewing clothing for themselves and their family members. Their skillful hands and rich imagination create patterns on Mong clothing using various materials, but the most unique is the beeswax painting on traditional linen fabric. This unique cultural feature has been intertwined with the community for generations.

Mong women in Ngoc Chien commune melt beeswax to make ink.

Ms. Giang Thi So, from Nam Nghep village, shared: "Painting with beeswax on fabric has been around for a very long time, passed down from generation to generation. When I was 6 years old, my grandmother and mother taught me embroidery, sewing, and how to paint with beeswax on linen. Every Hmong woman in the village knows how to paint with beeswax, and now I'm passing it on to my daughter."

Beeswax used for drawing ink comes in two types: yellow and black. Making ink from beeswax is a meticulous process. The beeswax commonly used is from the giant honeybee. After extracting the honey, the beeswax is melted over a low flame. The melted beeswax is then mixed with the yellow and black beeswax, corresponding to the desired shade of darkness. During the drawing process, the beeswax is constantly heated over a low, even flame. If the flame is too high, the beeswax will burn; if it's too low, it will dry and harden.

During the drawing process, ink made from beeswax is continuously heated.

When creating beeswax paintings, Hmong women don't use pens but a special tool, designed with two copper sheets and a small bamboo stick about 10-15 cm long, with a small hollow space between the two copper sheets to hold the beeswax. The pen tip is a triangular copper sheet with a pointed end, clamped to the bamboo stick.

The pen draws patterns using beeswax.

There are three types of drawing pens: one for sketching and drawing straight lines with a thick nib, and another for drawing patterns with a thin nib; the thinner the nib, the more beautiful and easier the patterns are to create. The strokes are extremely simple patterns and designs: outlines are squares, crosses combined with rhombuses, triangles, circles, sawteeth, etc. When drawing, continuously dip the pen into the hot beeswax pan, moving the pen quickly and evenly so that the wax melts smoothly without smudging until it's all gone, then dip the pen back into the wax to continue drawing.

Beeswax painting on fabric has been passed down through generations.

According to experience, beeswax dries quickly, so you can wrap the fabric around the drawing as you go to prevent it from getting dirty. After drawing the pattern, put the fabric into a pot of boiling water and stir well to remove the wax layer completely. At that point, the pattern will have its natural colors on the fabric, making it colorfast. After boiling, the fabric is dyed with indigo and then dried in the sun. From these pieces of fabric, traditional Hmong clothing is sewn.

The drawings are detailed, with many patterns combined together.

Meticulously drawing patterns on linen fabric to make new clothes for her children and husband in time for Tet (Lunar New Year), Ms. Sung Thi Phenh from Cham Pong village said: "Since I was little, I loved watching grandmothers and mothers draw patterns on dresses and clothes. As I grew older, my mother taught me how to draw and embroider a complete outfit. When I got married, I also personally decorated traditional outfits for the whole family with beeswax patterns to celebrate Tet."

The patterns were drawn with beeswax on linen fabric.

The art of beeswax painting among Hmong women is gradually fading away due to the trend of integration and the proliferation of mass-produced, inexpensive clothing materials. To preserve this unique cultural tradition, in addition to promoting the preservation of this traditional craft among Hmong women, Ngoc Chien commune annually incorporates beeswax painting competitions into its festivals and cultural activities; guiding Hmong women to create diverse brocade items decorated with beeswax and hand embroidery, and developing tourism products to introduce to visitors.

Mong women in Ngoc Chien commune participate in beeswax painting competition at the 2023 New Rice Festival.

Lam Giang