The plaiting work in Co Tu people's daily life

The plaiting work in Co Tu people's daily life

It is not easy to answer the question how long the Co Tu people have existed. The only thing we know now is that every Co Tu man, when reaching adulthood, still does not know how to go to the forest or to catch fish at the stream or even to plait a basket or a backpack. Many field seasons have passed, many times the Trường Sơn Mountain Range forests have changed leaves. Yet, the Co Tu people still attach their daily lives to their backpacks.

There are no ethnic groups in Vietnam with such diverse plaiting items as the Co Tu people. Over time, these items have become extremely sophisticated to suit the needs of each member of the family and suitable for their daily work - the backpack containing wood is sparsely plaited, the one containing rice and salt must be tightly plaited. When it comes to plaiting, we cannot skip “ta leec” - the three-chambered backpack for men. They are the pinnacle of plaiting work that is hard to find anywhere else in the world.

Besides that, “p’reng” - a small backpack decorated with unique patterns is used by Co Tu children to follow their mother whenever they go to a festival. Another popular one is “p’rom”, a type of backpack specifically used by women to carry gifts to their parents.

It can be said that the plaited products of the Co Tu people definitively result from the combination of their creative work and living close to nature. All objects for the daily life of the Co Tu people are always delicate, convenient and strong. Plaiting is not only for facilitating their daily life but it also contributes to preserving and developing the cultural quintessence of the Co Tu ethnic group.