Madame Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm, and Madame Maricel Cohen de Mulino, spouse of Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, were introduced to fabrics made by ethnic minority groups in Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — Madame Ngô Phương Ly, spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm, and Madame Maricel Cohen de Mulino, spouse of Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, attended a cultural event showcasing Việt Nam's ethnic minority groups at Văn (Literature) Lake, part of the Temple of Literature complex in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

The two ladies were briefed on the cultural diversity of Việt Nam's ethnic groups and shown traditional costumes, along with weaving, embroidery and pattern-making techniques preserved and handed down through generations. The materials, colours and patterns of the costumes reflect aesthetic values as well as stories of history, customs, traditions and the distinct identity of each community.

They met artisans and learned about several stages of making traditional handicrafts of the Tà Ôi, Red Dao and Blue Hmong peoples, among others. They also watched demonstrations of indigo dyeing and making fabrics with beeswax-painted patterns, and heard about the meanings behind the motifs.

Madame Ly said she is proud to introduce her guest to the naturally sourced patterns, weaving materials and dyes used by Việt Nam's ethnic communities.

Preserving heritage is not only about safeguarding artifacts and techniques from the past, but more importantly about creating conditions for those traditions to be practiced, developed and adapted to contemporary life, she said.

Supporting traditional handicraft groups, particularly ethnic minority women, people living in poverty and those with disabilities in remote and disadvantaged areas, helps create jobs and raise incomes. More fundamentally, it helps them revive crafts at risk of disappearing, such as brocade weaving, pottery, basketry and wood carving. It also supports them in designing products suited to modern markets, building management skills and taking their goods to international markets, and it encourages younger generations to keep learning and upholding the crafts, she said.

Vietnamese and Panamanian first ladies experience the culture of Việt Nam’s ethnic minority groups at Hồ Văn, part of the special national heritage site complex of Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

The Panamanian First Lady said she is delighted and particularly struck to see familiar patterns on Panamanian costumes in Việt Nam. Although the two countries sit on different continents, tens of thousands of km apart, she noted similarities between the culture of Panama's indigenous communities, including the Mola art of the Guna people, and the use of colours, patterns and techniques in the traditional costumes of Việt Nam's Mông, Dao, and Thai people.

The two later sat down for tea, watched an "áo dài" (traditional long dress) show and exchanged views on the role of women in modern life, and culture in building community bonds and raising understanding among peoples.

At the close of the event, the guest said she is impressed by the richness of Việt Nam's ethnic cultures and the efforts to keep traditional values alive in modern life. The host voiced her hope that Việt Nam and Panama will hold more cultural and people-to-people exchanges, contributing to greater mutual understanding and friendship between their people. — VNA/VNS