The unique craft of making conical hats in Chuong village

The Vietnamese conical hat has entered the idyllic life, not only a part of Vietnamese national customs but also a cultural feature. For generations, conical hats have been a symbol of Vietnamese women and countryside, expressing their simple beauty and their industriousness, diligence, and love for their families. Hats are worn by women everywhere, not only to cover the sun and rain but also to enhance their beauty.

The most famous place for making conical hats in the North is Chuong Village, a craft village on the banks of the Day River, 30km southwest of Hanoi. Traditional Vietnamese hat making has existed for more than 3 centuries in the village. Today, Chuong Village is regularly visited by domestic and international tourists not only to buy hats but also to learn how artisans make hats.

The artisans of Chuong village can make conical hats all year round, but summer is the peak season, each family prepares a lot of ingredients to make thousands of conical hats. The process of making hats has many parts: some families focus on making the leaves, some make the molds, and some other families make the hats.

Besides Con La, other types of hats are also made in Chuong Village such as Ba Tam hat (palm hat with tassels) or Con Thung (basket-shaped hat).

According to artisan Le Van Tuy, to satisfy the tastes of tourists and consumers, local artisans must innovate. They can combine cotton or straw or other materials on a single hat, paint them with lotus flowers or other fun decorative patterns, etc.

Conical hats from Chuong village are now available all over the country and exported to China, Japan, and European countries. Thanks to the efforts of the artisans of Chuong village, the craft of hat making will be preserved and passed on to the next generations.