A Flax Field – A Part of a Life

At the foot of the rugged limestone peaks of Quản Bạ, Hà Giang, lies a small village called Lùng Tám. There, hemp is not merely a fabric - it is a way of life, woven from the hands, memories, and pride of the Hmong people.

According to tradition, every Hmong girl grows up with a flax field of her own. That field is more than just land, it is where the first life lessons are sown: patience, diligence, and a love for all things rooted in identity.

When the flax blooms, Hmong women begin the harvest. The stalks are dried, stripped into fibers, boiled, steamed, pounded, and carefully joined - so seamlessly that no knot can be seen at the connection. Each strand, smooth and even, carries a story of perseverance.

Creating a single piece of hemp cloth involves over 40 meticulous steps-done entirely by hand, without machinery or haste. From joining the fibers, spinning the yarn, stretching the loom, weaving the cloth, bleaching, dyeing, to adding motifs, each phase is a cultural imprint of their heritage.

The loom is a simple waist loom: one end anchored to a house pillar, the other tied around the weaver’s waist. Weaving is not just work - it is devotion. Many Hmong women begin weaving at the age of 13 and stay with the craft their entire lives.

After weaving, the raw fabric is dyed and decorated with patterns. Lùng Tám is especially known for its traditional beeswax drawing technique. Melted yellow and black beeswax is used with fine-tipped tools to draw directly onto the cloth. Each motif, circles, spirals, geometric patterns - reflects the Hmong’s view of the universe and humanity.

Boil bee wax - Cre by TTXVN

Beyond beeswax, Hmong women also practice appliqué. Scraps of colorful fabric are precisely cut into motifs and hand-stitched onto clothing, creating garments that are both vibrant and symbolic of their cultural identity.

From the hands of highland women, these Lùng Tám hemp fabrics have traveled far beyond the earth-walled homes of Hà Giang to new lands, carrying quiet stories of a craft, a way of life, and a deep sense of pride.

Iron hemp fabric with a stone to soften it.

The craft of hemp weaving endures unassuming, unembellished like a resilient thread preserving the soul of Hmong culture. Lùng Tám hemp is not just handmade textile it is a part of the highland memory, a gift shaped by hands and love for tradition.

And if you ever visit Hà Giang, do stop by Lùng Tám. Lay your hand on a piece of hemp fabric, you’ll feel more than texture. You’ll hear the gentle rhythm of the loom, smell the lingering scent of beeswax, and glimpse a generational story passed from mother to daughter - soft and strong, like the hemp itself.

And when you visit The Bloom, you’ll likely come across handwoven, hand-painted, and hand-embroidered pieces of Lùng Tám hemp crafted by the tireless women of Hà Giang’s stone highlands, who continue to preserve their heritage through every thread and every stitch.