Da Lat Flower Festival Offers Opportunity to Promote Lam Dong Brocade

Brocade-Weaving Villages in Lam Dong

When H’Yon, from Pi Nao Village in Nhan Co Commune, heard that the 3rd Vietnam Brocade Cultural Festival would be held as part of the 11th Da Lat Flower Festival 2026, she was excited to take part.

Nearly 6 years after the second festival, H’Yon and fellow members of her brocade-weaving cooperative will once again have a chance to experience the festival atmosphere and see their traditional craft celebrated.

The M’nong artisan said two generations of her family knew how to weave brocade. In previous years, she was often invited by the local culture sector to teach brocade weaving. Pi Nao Village, where her family lives, has also been selected for development as a local brocade-weaving craft village.

For the M’nong people, brocade plays an important role in their culture. Through patterns and motifs woven into the fabric, they express their views on life, nature and people, as well as their community identity. Brocade weaving therefore not only produces items for daily life but also helps preserve the cultural spirit of their villages.

H’Yon said that since the village’s brocade-weaving cooperative was established, local women have had greater motivation to stay connected with their looms. Their products are used not only by families and in community cultural activities, but also have commercial value and reach a wider audience.

For years, Dak Nia residential area in Dong Gia Nghia Ward has also hosted brocade-weaving classes. The textiles are made into dresses, clothing, bags, blankets and other items for household use.

H’Binh, head of the Dak Nia Brocade-Weaving Cooperative, said the forest-inspired motifs of the Mạ people are now appearing not only in their communities but also in fashion, and have been introduced at festivals in Vietnam and abroad.

She said many brocade-weaving villages in the area are preserving and developing the craft. Besides safeguarding cultural identity, these villages are also helping local people generate income and improve their livelihoods.

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For many years, the former Dak Nia Commune was selected to organize brocade-weaving vocational classes, and I was invited to teach them. I believe that if we value our brocade textiles, Ma culture can reach even further and connect with the international community.

H’Binh, Head of the Dak Nia Brocade-Weaving Cooperative

Preserving and Promoting the Value of Brocade

Lam Dong is home to 49 ethnic groups, each with its own distinctive cultural traditions. Brocade is one of the cultural values that has been preserved and passed down through generations.

Brocade textiles feature colors and patterns characteristic of each ethnic group, while telling stories about their way of life, customs, beliefs and aesthetic traditions. Every woven line and motif is a way for communities to preserve and pass on their cultural identity.

In recent years, Lam Dong has implemented a number of programs and projects to promote the cultural value of brocade and provide better conditions for local people to organize production. The organization of the 3rd Vietnam Brocade Cultural Festival reflects efforts to preserve and promote the value of this traditional craft.

Ka Thuan, from Hamlet 5 in Hoa Ninh Commune, said maintaining the craft first requires preserving people’s interest in and connection with brocade weaving, especially among younger generations.

She said that when brocade is not only used for festivals and community activities but also developed into products suited to modern life, the craft will have greater opportunities to grow. This approach can both preserve traditional cultural values and create additional livelihoods for local people.

The 3rd Vietnam Brocade Cultural Festival is expected to take place in late December 2026. The event is expected not only to preserve, promote and honor the cultural identities of Vietnam’s ethnic groups, but also to create opportunities to expand markets for brocade products. Brocade weaving is also expected to become a sustainable livelihood that can help local people move out of poverty.

Ma Thi Thuan, a Cham brocade-weaving artisan from Lam Giang Village, Ham Thuan Bac Commune, regularly participates in events promoting the traditional weaving craft of the Cham people. Through these activities, she has more opportunities to introduce products made by herself and her community, while sharing the cultural values conveyed through each motif and woven pattern.

The artisan hopes that brocade weaving will continue to receive attention and support in the coming years. This would help bring brocade closer to consumers while contributing to the preservation and promotion of its cultural value.