The TÃ y grow cotton, spin it, weave it, and dye it to make the traditional blankets for the wedding dowries.
The Hmong grow hemp and use its strong fibres to make their clothes,
which they dye with indigo. In certain villages, people raise silkworms
to make the beautiful silk thread they use to embroider their clothes.
The Dao (Mien) women and the Hmong make veritable pictures with their
incredibly precise embroideries. Lots of traditional fabrics can be
found in the Sa Pa and Bac HÃ ethnic markets. Most of the patterns
embroidered by the Hmong and the Dao or woven by the Tay and the Thai
carry a meaning. They often symbolise a baby, a tree, a bird, a snail,
the moon, etc.
