Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s spouse Lê Thị Bích Trân and Loo Tze Lui, spouse of visiting Singaporean PM Lawrence Wong wear Vietnamese conical hats for a commemorative photo during their visit Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology in Hà Nội on March 26. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s spouse Lê Thị Bích Trân and Loo Tze Lui, spouse of visiting Singaporean PM Lawrence Wong, visited the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology in Hà Nội on Wednesday morning.

During their tour, the two women explored various sections of the museum, including spaces showcasing Việt Nam's rich cultural heritage, a folk architecture garden, and the Southeast Asian exhibition hall.

They learned about the 54 ethnic groups of Việt Nam, their traditional attire, musical instruments, farming tools, crafts, and rituals, while contemplating the reconstructed folk architectural works from different Vietnamese regions. The two took commemorative photos at the Rông house, a stilt house typical of the Central Highlands, traditionally used as a communal gathering space.

The visit continued with a demonstration of Đông Hồ folk painting, one of Việt Nam's four major traditional painting styles. Tran gifted Loo with a famous painting from this genre titled "Chăn trâu thổi sáo" (herding the buffalo while playing the flute).

The PM spouses also observed artisans from Hà Nội's Chuông village crafting traditional Vietnamese conical hats. Trân introduced her Singaporean guest to hand-painted hats featuring lotus motifs, which are a national symbol of Việt Nam, as well as those decorated with vibrant ethnic brocade patterns.

On this occasion, Mường ethnic artisans presented traditional brocade garments to both ladies, explaining their cultural significance. In the Mường tradition, brocade symbolises prosperity, with the quality and quantity of the fabric reflecting a family’s social status and wealth. For Mường women, weaving skills and the possession of finely crafted textiles are seen as measures of both dexterity and virtue.

The tour concluded with a performance of traditional Vietnamese folk arts in the museum’s courtyard. — VNA/VNS