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Let's explore the history of hairdressing in Vietnam. In the past, our ancestors cut each other's hair. How has it evolved to this day? This article will give you a proud insight into the profession you are pursuing.
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In the History of Vietnam, when it comes to the tradition of dyeing hair and tattooing among the Vietnamese people, it is written: 'During the time of the Hung Kings, Vietnamese people could tie, cut short, or let their hair flow freely.' Having short hair meant cutting it. However, at that time, people in the same village, the same tribe 'cut their own hair' for each other. Therefore, many believe that there were no 'professional' hairdressers during that time.
The History of Hairdressing in Vietnam Since Ancient Times
According to historical records, during the Ly dynasty when Buddhism was thriving, adults had to spend time at Buddhist temples, shaving their heads to show their devotion to Buddhism. However, the act of 'haircutting' was performed by monks, so there were certainly no professional hairdressers for the general public.
According to many hairdressers and cultural researchers, the hairdressing profession in Vietnam officially emerged during the French colonial period. During the Dong Kinh – Nghia Thuc period (1905), the trend of cutting short hair and adopting Western hairstyles spread rapidly. Many researchers believe that this period can be considered the birth of the Vietnamese hairdressing industry.
A glimpse of a hairdresser from Kim Lien village in the past.
Despite much debate about the origins of the hairdressing industry in Vietnam, hair stylists unanimously consider Kim Lien village (Hanoi) as the birthplace of the profession. Few know that, for a long time, the people of Kim Lien made a living wherever they went by 'taking heads' as their profession.
Legend has it that 'One day, when the weather was beautiful and cool, the elderly sat around a village water pavilion, chatting with each other. The majority of Dong Lam village's work was done by women (such as dyeing brown silk, sewing collars, dyeing fabric...). There was no profession for men, passed down from their ancestors.'
At that moment, a guest asked, 'What kind of work do you like?'
An old man said, 'It's not about giving up too much. We are about to return to the celestial realm, just hoping for work. Why should we listen to such words?'
The guest continued, 'Nothing is difficult; it's the art of mastering the heads of the world, that is, the hairdressing profession.'
Later, as the hairdressing profession thrived in the village, the old man was asked to become the Master of Tả Ao Geography. Although very clever, Tả Ao lacked a geography degree, so the court did not invite him to serve. After that, he followed a geographer to China, collected firewood, boiled water, and learned. He wandered from village to village, built houses, tombs, and passed on the trade, etc.
Despite the controversies, hair stylists and historians still agree that Kim Lien village is the birthplace of the Vietnamese hairdressing industry.
He placed a stone box at the foot of the dike outside the village lake, which the villagers then called Sớm An mound. In 1980, the village began building a new road and found a small stone box resembling a hair cutting tool. The villagers carried it to the temple, inside which was a thin slab with Chinese characters. The villagers asked Master Hán Nôm to translate it, and the content was as follows:
Crafting hair (Geography of Ao Dai).
'A realm, a mirror, a comb, a knife.'
Playing dumb, cutting the customer's neck.
Rich or holy, everyone dresses.
King twists, disappear, don't fear...
From that legend, every 15th and 16th day of the lunar March, people from Kim Liên village and hairdressers gather at Kim Liên shrine to honor their ancestors.
The history of hairdressing 'on the sidewalk'
It's unclear when the sidewalk hairdressing profession started, but in the memories of many, the image of a hairdresser on the sidewalk or under a tree seems to have existed since ancient times, as a part of urban life. Here, there's only the sound of old scissors, the buzz of clippers blending with the bolero music playing from the old radio the shop owner opens to serve.
A 'sidewalk salon' in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Unlike the hairdressing profession now, back then many sidewalk hair salons were seized by the city. Despite feeling discouraged, many persisted in saving up to buy tools to continue their profession as it was their only livelihood. At its peak development, 'sidewalk salons' could be found on every street, and the income of hairdressers was remarkably high.
In the 1990s, hairdressing was very popular and showcased by experts. Without the need for trendy hairstyles or elaborate dyeing, just being neat and tidy was enough to attract many customers. It was rare for a sidewalk hairdresser to intend to change professions or rent a more luxurious place to expand their business. Partly because customers chose the salon, many young people now want to know how things were in the past and seek out these places for nostalgia.
Haircutting on the sidewalk was their heyday in the 1990s.
Today, the impact of cultural and social changes has led not many people to choose the sidewalk hairdressing profession. Most of the remaining hairdressers today are middle-aged or older, and sidewalk hair salons are only within their reach. For elderly hairdressers, passion is the only thing that keeps them from giving up their craft.
Perhaps, as life continues to develop, sidewalk hair salons will gradually fade away when the last group of hairdressers no longer have the strength to sustain their passion. So, if you have the opportunity, just drop by the roadside hair salons, relax a bit because in the not-too-distant future, these hair salons will only appear in stories and black-and-white photos.
Let's explore the history of hair styling in Vietnam. How did our ancestors cut each other's hair in the past? How has it evolved to this day? This article will give you a better understanding and pride in the profession you are pursuing.
Does fast-track hairdressing training guarantee skill?
In the book 'Vietnam's History,' when discussing the tradition of dyeing hair and tattooing among the Vietnamese, it is written: 'During the time of the Hung Kings, Vietnamese people could tie their hair up, cut it short, or leave it loose.' Having short hair meant cutting it. However, during that time, people in the same village, in the same clan, 'cut their hair' for each other. Therefore, many believe that during this time, there were no 'professional' hairdressers.
The history of hair styling in Vietnam dates back to ancient times.
According to some historical records, during the Ly dynasty when Buddhism was flourishing, adults had to spend time at Buddhist temples, shaving their heads to show devotion to Buddhism. However, 'haircutting' was performed by temple priests, so there certainly were no specialized hairdressers for the public.
According to many hair stylists and cultural researchers, the hairdressing profession in Vietnam officially emerged during the French colonial period. During the Dong Kinh – Nghia Thuc era (1905), the trend of cutting short, Western-style hair became popular and developed rapidly. Many researchers consider this period as the birth of the Vietnamese hairdressing industry.
An image of a hairdresser from Kim Lien village in the past.
Despite the debates surrounding the emergence of the hairdressing industry in Vietnam, hair stylists unanimously regard Kim Lien communal house (Hanoi) as the birthplace of the profession. Few know that for a long time, wherever people from Kim Lien village went, they all 'took heads to work.'
Legend has it that 'One day, when the weather was beautiful and cool, the elderly sat around a village's first water pavilion, lamenting with each other. In Dong Lam village, almost all the work was done by women (such as dyeing brown, sewing collars, dyeing fabric, etc.). There was no profession for men, handed down from their fathers.'
At that time, a guest said: 'What kind of work do you like?'
An elderly man said: 'It's not that you give up too much, we are about to return to the celestial world, just hoping for work, when needed, why bother listening like that.'
The guest continued: 'Nothing is difficult, it's the profession of ruling the heads of the world, that is, the profession of hairdresser.'
Later, the hairdressing profession in the village developed, and the old man was asked to be the master of Dia ly Ta Ao. Ta Ao was very intelligent but did not have a geography degree, so the court did not invite him to serve as an official. After that, he followed a geographer to China, collected firewood, boiled water, and then learned that. He wandered from one village to another, built houses, graves, and passed on the profession, etc.
Despite the debates, hair stylists and historians still agree that Kim Lien village is the birthplace of the Vietnamese hairdressing industry.
He placed a stone box at the foot of the dike outside the lake shrine, and that day the villagers called it the Early Morning Mound. In 1980, the village began building a new road and found a small stone like a hairdressing box. The villagers carried it to the shrine, and in the box was a thin plaque with Chinese characters, which the villagers asked Master Han Nom to translate. The content was as follows:
Practicing the profession of hairdresser (Geography of Ao Dai).
'Giang Son - one shop, mirror, comb, razor'
Playing foolishly, cutting the throats of customers
Rich saints dress themselves
King, turn and flee, fear not…
From that legend, every 15th and 16th day of the third lunar month each year, the villagers of Kim Lien and hairdressers gather at the Kim Lien shrine to pay tribute to their ancestors.
The history of hairstyling 'on the sidewalk'
The origins of sidewalk hair cutting are unclear, but in the memories of many, the image of a hairdresser on the sidewalk or under a tree seems to have existed since ancient times, as a part of urban life. Here, only the sound of old scissors and the buzz of clippers mix with the bolero music playing from the old radio opened by the shop owner to serve.
A 'sidewalk salon' in Hanoi's old quarter.
Not as stable as the hairdressing profession today, many sidewalk hair salons were seized by the city back then. Despite feeling disheartened, many still tried to save money to buy tools to continue their profession because it was their only livelihood. At its peak, sidewalk salons could be found all over the streets, and the income of hairdressers was remarkably high.
In the 1990s, hairdressing was very popular and a showcase for experts. There was no need for trendy hairstyles or various dyes, just a neat and tidy appearance would attract many customers. It was very rare for a sidewalk hairdresser to intend to change professions or rent a more luxurious place to expand their business. Partly because in this profession, 'customers choose the shop,' so many young people nowadays want to know what the old memories were like and also come to reminisce.
Haircutting on the sidewalk was their heyday in the 1990s.
Today, the impact of cultural and social changes has led not many to choose the sidewalk hair cutting profession. Most of the remaining hairdressers today are middle-aged or older, and sidewalk hair salons are only within their reach. For elderly hairdressers, passion is the only thing that keeps them from giving up their craft.
Perhaps, as life continues to develop, sidewalk hair salons will gradually fade away when the last group of hairdressers no longer has the strength to sustain their passion. So, if you have the chance, just stop by the roadside hair salons, relax a little because in the not-so-distant future, such hair salons will only appear in stories and black-and-white photos.
Posted by: Như Ý Nguyễn
Keyword: The History of Hair Styling Profession Formation in Vietnam
