Vietnam TravelTravel Special FeaturesVietnam - The Craft VillagesThe Conical Hats

The Conical Hats

Passing by the bridge, I tilt my palm-leaf hat to look at it
The span of the bridge is a measure of my sorrow.
Passing by the communal house I tilt my palm-leaf hat to look at it.
The number of tiles on the roof is a measure of my love for you.

Long ago, a young man would present his sweetheart with a conical bamboo hat, or non. The gift was all the more precious since the suitor was expected to make the hat himself, and even skilled hat-makers can only turn out about two hats per day.

In the 1930s, Vietnam had over 50 styles of palm-leaf hats, including the imposing quai thao, a style of large, flat hat that is still worn by women performing Quan Ho folk songs. The most widely worn style of palm-leaf hat today is the conical non, which was derived from the bai tho or 'poem' hat of Hue.

Eminently practical, these hats conceal a romantic touch. When held up to the light, the sides reveal characters or designs that have been cut into a leaf and inserted between two other layers of translucent palm leaves. Ordinary non, while certainly less romantic, are no less useful, offering protection from the sun and rain, and doubling as a makeshift container or fan.

The village of Chuong, which lies some 30km southwest of Hanoi, is the best-known source of palm-leaf hats in northern Vietnam. Set beside the Day River, this picturesque village is the topic of various folk verses, including one that advices: "If you wish to taste really good rice and fish, if you wish to wear a really good palm-leaf hat, come to Chuong.

Just as they have for centuries, Chuong's villagers still earn their livings by farming, fishing, and making hats. Palm leaves are bleached over flames, then stitched onto bamboo frames. While many urban women eagerly follow the latest fashions from Korea or New York, these hand-made conical hats remain one of the most widely recognized symbols of Vietnam.

Getting There

For Chuong village, drive southeast out from Hanoi on Nguyen Trai Street towards Ha Tay province. Go straight on until you reach a three-way intersection marked Ba La Bong Do. Take the right-hand fork and go straight on for 20km to Chuong village.