Villagers bring stacks of conical hats to the communal yard for sale during the early-morning market. (Photo: VNA)More than a trading place, the market is a social hub where locals meet, talk and preserve long-standing traditions. (Photo: VNA)Outside the pagoda yard, traders sell la lui (young palm leaves) - the primary material for making Chuong conical hats. Sourced from Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces, the leaves are treated by rubbing with sand and sun-dried for two to three days until they turn a silvery white, becoming soft and easy to shape. They are then bundled into bunches of 50 to 100 leaves, priced between 65,000 and 200,000 VND (3 - 8 USD) depending on quality. (Photo: VNA)From the initial frame, artisans carry out a series of meticulous steps including preparing the leaves, shaping the rings, forming the hat, stitching, inserting the inner lining and finishing the brim to complete a conical hat. (Photo: VNA)Thin bamboo strips are shaped into rings, forming the structure of the hat. (Photo: VNA)
Market keeps centuries-old conical hat craft alive
Chuong conical hat market in Thanh Oai commune, Hanoi, comes alive early from 4:30 a.m. Held for just about three hours on the 4th, 10th, 14th, 20th, 24th and 30th days of the lunar month, the market helps sustain a 300-year-old craft village.
