One of the oldest in Southeast Asia, the traditional Vietnamese culture focuses heavily on humanity and harmony, with special emphasis on family and the community.
At the bustling Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park Bazaar, one Vietnamese stall displaying an assortment of colourful handicrafts, art, clothes, and knick-knacks, presents a whirlwind glimpse into the cultural essence of Vietnam.
Set up along the outer ring of the Bazaar is the Vietnamese family stall, helmed by Ha. “Sometime last month, we wandered into this bazaar as a visitor and we found it very interesting,” says Ha, who recently moved to Doha and works in International Relations, “We saw artworks and products of a lot of different countries being put out by expats of various communities. However, there was only one Vietnamese stall, and that too, sold mostly table covers. Qatar has around 2,000 Vietnamese expats, and I felt like we should start a dialogue with other communities here.”
After having a word with his folks and friends, Ha decided to present an authentic slice of Vietnam to Qatar by setting up their own stall at the bazaar. “We want to introduce Qataris and all the expats of Qatar to authentic Vietnamese products,” says Ha, “Here, we have handicraft pieces, lacquer paintings, scarves and cravats for men, traditional dresses for women, and our traditional conical hats, among other things.”
In fact, the range of products on the table is like a primer of Vietnamese culture – for instance, it features handmade greeting cards that pop out with miniaturised paper-quilled representations of places of importance in Vietnam, and the very elegant and most widely known Vietnamese national costume Ao Dai, which is essentially a long gown with a slit on both sides, worn over cotton or silk trousers. Then there are also exquisitely made tiny figurines that are clad in such traditional attire.
To better understand the nuances, a note on Vietnamese Culture and Society on the website of the Vietnamese Embassy in America might help. “Traditional Vietnamese handicraft has a long history and a diverse range of products, which have become well-known at home and abroad. Vietnamese products of ceramics, lacquer, silk, rattan and bamboo have made their popular presence in many countries. Today, some handicraft industries are still preserved and developed, offering jobs and incomes to many labourers and contributing to exports, like ceramics, silk weaving, lacquer making, rattan and bamboo weaving, conical hat making, bronze casting, and woodworking etc.”
As for Vietnamese costume, the note says, “Most ethnic groups in Vietnam have their own costumes that reflect their unique cultural identities. Most of these costumes are decorated with vivid patterns in contrast colours: black-white, black-red, green-red or green-white and made of natural fibre such as ramie, silk, pineapple yarn or cotton. These materials are fine, durable and sweat-absorbing, suitable for tropical climate.”
While the traditional costume of Vietnamese men has been white pants, brown tops with scarf and ordinary sandals or wooden clogs called “guoc”, the costumes for women are more complicated and colourful with black skirt, white brassieres, four-panel dress with “crow-beak” scarf and pergularia-like belt, the note further explains. “Today, the official costumes of the Vietnamese people have changed. Suits have replaced the traditional costume of Vietnamese men. The long dress or Ao Dai… has been modified to better suit Vietnamese women and is used in many important ceremonies of the year.”
For Ha, who has sourced all the items at his stall from back home, choosing the right source of supply wasn’t a concern. “In Vietnam, handmade products are of fantastic quality. The choices, therefore, are easy to make,” he says.
It was when some of his friends came down to Doha to visit him that Ha asked them to bring all the products in batches after making a long-list of what might suit the stall. “Vietnam is known for its souvenirs. We have spent only our first Saturday at the bazaar as yet and we will see how it goes,” says Ha, “We are happy to see that people are very interested in Vietnamese handmade products, and the reactions, responses and feedbacks of the visitors have been very heartening.”
No wonder then that Ha is keen to make the most of the winter bazaar. “We plan to come here every Saturday,” he says, “Through our stall, we want to give Doha a window into the Vietnamese culture and sights and sounds. Then, we would like to invite them to travel to Vietnam and experience it all first-hand.”