Palm leaf conical hat villages in Hue

Speaking of special products of traditional handicraft villages in Hue, conical hats are probably more widely known. Not only are conical hats used for protecting from the sun, rain and attached to the daily life of people in Hue, but more than that , it has become a cultural specialty – “poem hats ” associated with the image of the Hue girls.

A beautiful girl with the palm-leaf conical hat

Hue’s conical hats, especially “poem” hats are favored by many visitors due to the light and gentleness. Those are not only as simple hats but are a real work of art. To get a beautiful hat satisfying buyers, the Hue’s artisans have to meticulously go through many stages which require diligence, skillful hands of artisans (from choosing the frame, bending brims, covering leaves, cutting flowers, to completing hats and finally polishing and storage, and then selling).

Therefore, in the village hat, the division of labor is expressed very specifically. From frame makers, polishing craftsmen to bending brim makers… each has to work very professionally their own job. Bending brim is the first stage which determines the meniscus, roundness, shape, size of the hats. Hat frame is made of light wood with curved roofs and with various sizes. If the trend doesn’t change, hat frames are often used in dozens years, without changing the design. Hat brims are made ​​of bamboo trees which are popular in Hue and are cleaved. Each hat has from 15 to16 brims, which traditionally is considered as “the 16 brims of moon”.

Palm leaf conical hats in the festival villages.

Leaves of Hue conical leaf hat is just ordinary, but are selected through the various stages such as steaming, drying, exposing in the frost, thorough ironing and remaining green white in order to meet the standards. The hidden icon in the “poem” conical hat is usually the images of Truong Tien Bridge, Ngu Binh Mountain, Ngo Mon Gate, Phu Van Lau and the Thanh Toan tiling bridge…Accompanying with the images is some famous verses about Hue which are in the iridescent cellophane, standing out among the green white of conical hats.

Tourists can find conical hats in every market, from the major markets such as, Dong Da, An Cuu, Ben Ngu to small markets like, Sia, Pho Trach. Particularly, Le market is very famous with conical hats in hundred years which is the wholesale for markets from the North to the South.

A palm leaf conical hat craftswoman

Therefore Hue conical hat is no longer merely product, but has become a unique culture brand. This is also the first handicraft products has certified protection of geographical indications in May 8/2010 from  Intellectual Property Department (Ministry of Science and Technology).

In the streets of Hue today, tourists cannot see the conical hats everywhere, but it has become a culture, an indispensable charm of Hue cultural life. Therefore, the department and functional agencies in Thua Thien – Hue have launched several measures to conserve and restore, and develop the traditional craft such as capital support, market search and associate the craft with tourism through the Hue’s festival villages.

Palm leaf conical hat villages in Hue