Introduction to the Vietnamese Conical Leaf Hat

Prompt: Introduction to the Vietnamese Conical Leaf Hat

6 Sample Essays Introducing the Vietnamese Conical Leaf Hat

1. Expository Essay on the Vietnamese Conical Leaf Hat, Sample 1:

The Vietnamese conical leaf hat serves as a sunshade, rain cover, fan, and even as a tool to conceal one's face, smile, or enhance the charm of Vietnamese women.

The materials used to craft the hat include palm leaves, threads, hooks, and bamboo frames. Although the conical hat has a simple structure, it requires skillfulness from the artisans. The hat has a uniformly conical shape, enclosed by multiple layers of curved rims. The rims are made of bamboo, forming a round framework that supports the graceful silhouette of the hat. At the bottom part of the hat, there is a sturdier rim encircling it, providing more rigidity than the rims above. The stiffness or brittleness of the rims will determine the durability of the hat.

However, the most crucial part of the hat is the two layers of palm leaves - the primary material for crafting the hat. The palm leaves must be young and sun-dried until they turn completely white. Sandwiched between the two layers of palm leaves is a layer of bamboo husk, serving as the core, which is dried and obtained from bamboo or rattan husks. All materials used to make the hat must be waterproof and resistant to water seepage to withstand heavy rain and scorching sun.

To enhance its charm and secure it firmly on the wearer's head, a soft silk strap is attached along with two straps affixed to the inner surface of the hat. The hat straps are woven from durable, beautiful threads. Intricate ethnic patterns can also be embellished on the inside of the hat or a layer of glossy resin can be applied to the outer surface of the hat.

The hat-making process is not overly difficult: first, sun-dry the palm leaves (young palm leaves) until they become completely white, then spread them out on the ground to soften and widen the leaves. Next, heat the leaves on a hot surface to flatten them. The hat rim is uniformly rounded and smoothed. The final step is to tie and stitch when the leaves are placed on the rim layer. Crochet the thread through 16 layers of bamboo rings using bamboo sticks to complete the product. Once sewn, the hat can be steamed over a fire to whiten it further and prevent mold. That's the hat-making process. It's said to be not too difficult, but in reality, it embodies the essence and accumulated wisdom of generations in the art of hat making.

In Vietnam, there are many regions famous for hat-making: Chuong Village hats (formerly in Ha Tay) are both durable and beautiful; Hue has delicate poetic hats; Quang Binh and Nam Dinh also have their own unique beauty.

The conical hat is deeply ingrained in the daily life of Vietnamese people. It shields from rain and sun, serving as a memorable and profound gift. It adds charm to Vietnamese girls during summer festivals. What's more beautiful than a graceful Vietnamese girl in an ao dai, wearing a conical hat, elegantly dancing under the sun?

The conical hat has truly become a vivid symbol of Vietnamese women: gentle, graceful, heroic, resilient, and dignified.

Today, in modern life, the conical hat no longer holds the same position and role as before. Elegant hats and fashionable raincoats have gradually replaced the traditional humble conical hat. However, in the consciousness of every Vietnamese person, the image of the conical hat, along with the meticulous stitches, will forever endure. It remains a timeless beauty in Vietnam's unique cultural heritage.

Introduction to the Vietnamese Conical Hat is an informative topic. Additionally, you can refer to Exposition about Eyeglasses along with Exposition about a Dish to better study Grade 8 Literature.

Detailed and captivating introduction to the Vietnamese conical hat

2. Concise exposition about the Vietnamese conical hat, model number 2:

The conical hat first appeared in Vietnam in the 13th century, during the Tran Dynasty. Since then, it has been inseparable from the Vietnamese people like shadow to body. Not merely a gender, age, or status discriminatory item... the hat always accompanies every journey as a faithful companion, shielding from sun and rain. Is it this enduring presence that has long made the hat a symbol for the Vietnamese land and its people?

First and foremost, the hat is a highly practical item. It serves to shield from rain and sun. Whether it's the pointed hat, the wide-brimmed hat, or the three-tiered hat resembling a basket but lighter... all are designed for rain protection. Despite the various types, their common characteristic is the broad brim (to prevent heat) and sloping roof (to quickly drain water, protect from rain). In addition to coping with the natural environment, the hat also aims to enhance beauty and grace for women and align with Vietnamese aesthetic senses: beautiful in a modest, understated manner. Underneath the brim, the eyes, the smile, the dimples, the strands of hair, the fair neck of a girl seem to be accentuated with charm, modesty, yet no less allure...

People wear conical hats while farming, going to the market, or attending festivals. Bidding farewell to a girl on her way to her husband's house, mothers place a conical hat in her hands as a token of affection... The conical hat inspires poetry and music. There's even a song about it: 'Poetic conical hat, you wear the poetic conical hat, going to welcome the festival's arrival'... Amidst the canals, rivers in the lush gardens of the South, someone was captivated by: 'Conical hat tilted, long hair of the girl flowing'. The hat also evokes memories of mothers sheltering: 'Homeland is a small bamboo bridge/Mother returns, conical hat tilting to cover...' During the war years, bidding farewell to loved ones heading to the battlefield, girls often wore hats with a loyal purple strap. Just that is more than any vow, ocean promise, soothing the hearts of those departing...

Conical hats are often woven from various types of leaves, different trees such as palm leaves, straw, bamboo, lotus leaves, fern leaves specifically used for hats, etc. They may or may not have straps made of soft fabric or silk to keep them on the neck.

Conical hats typically have a pointed or slightly rounded shape, although there are still some wide-brimmed hats with flattened tops.

There are many types of conical hats such as horse hats or Gò Găng hats (produced in Binh Dinh, made from pandan leaves, often used when riding horses), cross-strap hats (people in Northern Vietnam often use them during festivals), poetic conical hats (in Hue, a type of thin, white conical hat adorned with images or a few lines of poetry), emblem hats (hats with pointed tops of feudal era officials); straw hats (hats made from bundled straw); torn hats (hats torn at the edges); bamboo hats (hats made from bamboo, used by feudal era officials); lotus leaf hats (also known as interconnected leaf hats); basket hats (hats shaped like a basket, giving rise to the idiom 'basket hat cross-strap'); khua hats (hats of servants of feudal officials); pan hats (round hats on the head like an inverted pan, still used in Thailand). etc.

For women in Huế, the poetic conical hat is always a faithful companion. In daily life, the conical hat holds a special place for women in Huế. It not only serves to shield from rain and sun but also functions as a storage item, a cooling fan, and, most importantly, contributes to enhancing the gracefulness of Huế women.

Nowadays, the conical hat, prevalent throughout Vietnam, is a distinctive cultural feature of the country. When foreigners visit Vietnam, they all desire to have a few conical hats as gifts to take back to their homeland.

3. Exposition about the Vietnamese conical hat for 10th grade, model number 3:

The conical hat, with its long history, is depicted on Ngọc Lũ bronze drums, on Đào Thịnh bronze drums dating back approximately 2500-3000 years. The conical hat is closely intertwined with life, adding many simple, elegant, charming, and practical aspects to the lives of Vietnamese women and the agricultural lifestyle, enduring both sun and dew. Conical hats in Vietnam have varied through different historical periods:

Distinguished Types of Vietnamese Conical Hats

Although there are numerous varieties, the most prevalent is the conical hat. It must be said that Vietnamese people, from rural to urban areas, have all used conical hats, but how many have cared about how many rims they have, how wide their diameter is? Despite being simple and inexpensive, the art of making conical hats requires skillful hands. With bamboo splints, craftsmen carefully shave each strand into 16 thin strips, then mold them into glossy circular frames. Once the frame is ready, they must also purchase or harvest young, unopened leaves, with veins still tight. Dried leaves have a greenish-white color, and buyers must expose them to night dew to reduce brittleness. The leaves are then opened from tip to stem, the end trimmed, and heated over a red-hot plow blade, pulling the leaf into a long, thin sheet, creating small vein lines. The most beautiful leaves are chosen for the outer rim of the hat. Subsequently, a conical frame with 6 main ribs is used to attach 16 different-sized large and small rims. This type of frame is often made by professionals for easy removal of the hat after covering with leaves and sewing. Once the hat leaves are stacked on the frame, a thin layer of mo nang is placed between the two layers and securely tied. Next is the sewing process, where the craftsman's nimble hands thread the needle up and down, ensuring tight stitches. Skilled artisans also have the talent to hide protruding knots inside. The completed hat is both durable and beautiful, reflecting evenly under the sunlight. With a diameter of 41cm, the outer layer is thinly coated with oil paint to prevent rainwater from seeping through the needle holes. To create such a hat, it must undergo 15 steps, from picking leaves in the forest, drying leaves, opening, ironing, selecting leaves, sewing, and cutting.

The Best Introduction to the Vietnamese Conical Hat

Because it is imbued with artistry, humans have always known how to appreciate this cultural artifact. Even in the information age, although not numerous, there are still people who love traditional culture and cling to this difficult yet rare profession. Together, they have established traditional conical hat villages, providing a large quantity of hats to provinces and cities. Notable examples include Phú Cam village, also known as Phước Vĩnh ward, right in the center of Huế city, on the southern bank of the An Cựu river. Phú Cam village is famous for its beautiful Huế conical hats, which are slender in shape, sturdy, and elegant in color, lightweight, and clearly reveal the paper decorations depicting Huế landscapes accompanied by poems inserted between the two layers of leaves. Or Nghĩa Châu commune (Nghĩa Hưng), long renowned for its elegant and durable conical hats. Then there are the Gò Găng hats from Bình Định, the Chuông village conical hats (Thanh Oai, Hà Tây), all of which contribute to the unique cultural essence of Vietnamese conical hats.

And then, naturally, the conical hat entered poetry gently as if it had to be so. Poet Bích Lan once described the Huế poem conical hat as:

People from Huế love Huế poetry and music,
The white áo dài gently floats,
The poem conical hat snuggles in hand,
Quietly stepping in the gentle sunlight,
And even in folk rhymes:
This hat shades from sun and rain,
This hat is worn for both of us,
Whether it's the fate of a conical hat with a silk strap,
Or the fate of a coconut-leafed conical hat, it's all done

The image of the conical hat in the eyes of poets is the image of innocent girls in pure white áo dài, of simple women sincerely attached to the homeland fields, of silent love conveyed through hidden poems in the conical hat.

Each conical hat has its own soul, its own meaning. Nowadays, in our Vietnam, there are dozens of different traditional conical hats, proving the cultural and artistic essence. Despite the civilized life, development, the Vietnamese conical hat still retains its original essence: simple, graceful. Anywhere, from deep remote forests, vast fields, along long rivers and seas, the conical hat of a thousand generations remains unchanged.

4. Essay on the Vietnamese Conical Hat for Grade 10, Sample 4:

The conical hat is a traditional headwear of East Asian and Southeast Asian ethnic groups such as Japan, Laos, China, Thailand, Vietnam... The hat is typically woven from various types of leaves, with a fabric strap to hold it on the neck. Conical hats usually have a pointed or slightly curved shape. The Vietnamese conical hat is an image that those far from their homeland have longed to see again. This simple leaf-woven hat has a long history. The precursor of the conical hat was engraved on the Ngọc Lũ bronze drum and the Đào Thịnh bronze tower about 2500 - 3000 years ago. Since ancient times, the hat has been present in the daily life of the Vietnamese people, in the fight to defend the country, through many stories and novels.

The Vietnamese conical hat is a part of Vietnamese life. It is the faithful companion of hardworking people enduring harsh sunlight and heavy dew. On long sunny roads or during rest breaks while working in the fields, a girl can use the hat to fan away sweat. In Huế, the conical hat is further romanticized with poems ***ed inside the layers of leaves. To read, one must lift the conical hat up high, looking through the sunlight.

Poetry will appear inside the hat...

In the art realm, the dance performance with conical hats by graceful girls in áo dài reflects the gentle, soft, and modest nature of Vietnamese women. All schoolgirls wear conical hats. It serves many purposes for them: shading from the sun and rain, covering the chest and body when feeling shy under the gaze of boys. Sometimes, the hat is used to carry small items like snacks or fruits when they go for outdoor activities. It also flutters to bring cool breeze to the flushed faces in the heat.

Together with the áo dài, the conical hat is closely associated with Vietnamese women. From poetry, music, painting to film, the conical hat has become a unique language to express the image and sentiments of women. While the conical hat exists across all regions, in Huế, it has become a symbol of the beauty, grace, and delicacy of Huế women.

The conical hat craft in Huế has existed for ages, but its origin remains a mystery. Even the oldest artisans in Huế are unsure about it. However, one thing is certain: the conical hat craft in Huế has been around for a long time, evident in the folk songs and proverbs of the region. Many people in Huế are familiar with these lines:

'Whoever goes to Huế dreams
Bringing back a conical hat as a gift'

Wonderful:

'Cool the hero's face under the summer sun
Shield the village girl's head during the rain'

The conical hat craft in Huế holds many peculiarities. There's no founding father of the craft, but artisans are found everywhere. Huế boasts renowned conical hat villages such as Đồng Di - Tây Hồ - La Ỷ - Nam Phổ (Phú Vang district) - Phủ Cam - Đốc Sơ (Huế city). Each village specializes in a particular type of conical hat. La Ỷ, Nam Phổ, and Đốc Sơ excel in crafting beautiful triple-layered hats, while Đồng Di - Tây Hồ - Phủ Cam are famous for their poetic conical hats. In terms of design and delicacy, Huế conical hats exhibit distinct characteristics compared to those from other regions. Hence, despite being all made of palm leaves, Huế conical hats are easily recognized wherever they are placed:

'Oh white dress, I searched for you in vain
The sun wanders across Trường Tiền's rhythm
A truly Huế hat, yet life isn't so
The sun rises from the brim where you tilt'
Áo dài and Huế conical hat

Compared to conical hats from other regions, the Huế conical hat has been most prevalent in poetry and music. The image of a Huế girl with a poetic conical hat, whether shading her head, held in her hand, or slightly tilted, exudes a quintessential Huế beauty. For ages, when the poetic conical hat is mentioned, thoughts immediately turn to Huế. Within the poetic conical hat embodies the beauty of an entire cultural region. The delicate poetic conical hat, held lightly in hand, from its peak to its brim, all exude elegance and sharpness. However, merely possessing these traits wouldn't make the poetic conical hat special; embedding the soul of Huế into the hat, an everyday item for Huế women, required ingenuity from Huế artisans. The verses adorning the hat aren't inked but cut from paper, cleverly hidden between two layers of green leaves, only readable when held against the sunlight. Huế people's sentiments are discreetly preserved in this manner. Love alone isn't enough; perseverance and challenges are needed to unravel the soul of a Huế girl. That's the secret of Huế's poetic conical hat. Though just a small poetic conical hat, Huế people imbue it with profound philosophy and life perspectives.

Detailed and impressive introduction to the Vietnamese conical hat

In the memories of the elderly, Huế women always wore áo dài and conical hats when going out. Whether in the early morning or cool evening, the conical hat was inseparable. Enclosed lives, influenced by courtly lifestyles, the conical hat helped Huế women conceal their faces and express emotions with strangers in a dignified manner. With the owner's skillfulness, the conical hat became an incredibly discreet yet meaningful object of charm, to the point where poet Trần Quang Long exclaimed anxiously: 'How did you know I was looking while tilting your hat?'

The dreamy scenery of Huế, the serene streets, and the Huế girls in flowing áo dài wearing poetic conical hats have become one of Huế's iconic and beautiful images. This imagery has impacted the artistic life of this land. The conical hat doesn't only appear in poetry, music, but also in paintings. With a few strokes depicting the conical hat's ribbon or the blurred white pyramid shape, and the slightly tilted brim, viewers all understand it as the image of a Huế girl, the Huế conical hat. Artist Đặng Mậu Tựu - Vice President of the Fine Arts Association of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, said: 'The history of Vietnamese conical hats has gone through many stages, with variations from round hats (ancient northern hats), flat round hats (quai thao hats) to pyramid-shaped hats (Huế hats). In terms of shaping, the pyramid shape creates a solid presence in space, elevating aesthetic appeal, providing more sun coverage while maintaining neatness and gracefulness.'

The deeper one delves into understanding, the more one realizes that in the artistic life, the Huế conical hat possesses a powerful vitality, evoking rich imagination. Its flourishing presence stems from a fundamental factor: its connection to life. The hat is ubiquitous in daily life, from the imperial court to rural villages, from schools and streets to rice fields. In modern times, the conical hat has even gone international, appearing in the skies of Europe and America, gracing major stages of international beauty pageants with Vietnamese participants. Regardless of where it appears, the Huế conical hat always carries the essence of the countryside, the fragrance of fields, the domestic breeze of traditional craft villages where it originated.

We visited Đồng Di Village (Di Đông Hamlet - Phú Hồ Commune - Phú Vang District), the famous traditional poetic conical hat village of Huế. These rural artisans have contributed to preserving the ancient Huế spirit in every stitch and leaf color. The renowned poetic conical hats of Đồng Di owe their beauty to their lush green leaves, meticulously stitched thick edges, and overall lightness and clarity, with visible verses and hidden motifs. Today, Đồng Di still has many households engaged in hat-making—up to 80% of the village. Unlike other villages like La Ỷ, Nam Phổ, and Phủ Cam, where fewer households are making hats and shifting to other trades. Exploring Đồng Di, we discovered many families who have been hat makers for generations. During the planting season, adults work in the fields while children make hats at home. After the harvest, the whole family joins the trade. During the school year, children attend classes and then come home to work on hats, contributing to covering school expenses. Every week, every ten days, Đồng Di hats are brought to the Dạ Lê market. The village market days remain an exciting time for children with gifts from their mothers and women buying essentials for the family. For generations, hat-making has been intertwined with the lives of Đồng Di people, unchanged. Mrs. Đỗ Thị Trích, 60 years old from Đồng Di Village, has been making hats for nearly 50 years, saying: 'The poetic conical hats of Đồng Di have been famous since ancient times in Huế. Those who made hats in the village then still make hats now. Hat-making yields low income, but with diligence, one can earn market money. In the countryside, there's always something to do after the harvest. Though modest, hat-making also brings in some money, and having children in the family skilled in hat-making helps them stay home or play. In the past, Đồng Di only made poetic conical hats, but now there are also woven hats. Regardless of the type of hat, the craftsmanship of Đồng Di people remains as it was.

Today, Huế conical hats not only include poetic conical hats, three-layered hats, and brimmed hats like in the past but, according to consumer preferences, Huế hats now also include embroidered hats and woven hats. Due to the development of motorbike transportation, which isn't conducive to wearing hats, many young Huế women no longer have the opportunity to 'tilt their hats to charm.' However, the image of the hat is still widely used in life. Conical hats appear as charming decorations in hotels, restaurants, and festive occasions. Hat-making is honored as a profession embodying the traditional beauty of ancient Huế. In the Primairi Village pilgrimage village, the host has established an entire house to introduce visitors to hat-making as a profession steeped in the cultural beauty of Huế's craft villages.

The verses about the beauty of Huế conical hats and Huế women continue to evoke emotions in many hearts. Huế hats now, alongside the traditional elements preserved by craft villages, have also begun to adapt to modern life. Life is dynamic, and Huế hats are starting to step beyond the confines of Huế, of Vietnam, to reach international friends. The most comprehensive and detailed introduction to Huế hats will take place at the Huế City Festival for the first time in July.

5. Elaboration on the Vietnamese conical hat, model 5:

In the country of Vietnam, there are over fifty ethnic groups divided into various regions. However, there are three main regions: North - Central - South.

Each region has its own customs and practices. Speaking of attire, the four-panel robe and the accompanying item, the conical hat with straps, represent the people of the North. In the Central and Southern regions, the áo dài, in general, and the áo bà ba, in particular, accompanied by the familiar conical hat, serve to enhance the elegance and gentleness, accentuating the beauty of Vietnamese women.

The conical hat is a longstanding element of history. The predecessors of the conical hat were depicted on the Ngọc Lữ bronze drum, the Đào Thịnh bronze jar dating back to about 2500 - 3000 bronze drums before the Common Era. Despite enduring various periods of foreign invasion, the craft of making conical hats has persisted and survived to this day. Presently, villages engaged in conical hat making such as Đồng Di Village (Phú Vang), Dạ Lê Village (Hương Thủy), and Phủ Cam (Huế) stand out as the most distinctive hat-making villages,... these craft villages have produced exquisite products and have also become tourist attractions.

Crafting a beautiful conical hat involves many meticulous steps. Firstly, the selection of leaves, followed by sun-drying and meticulous thread selection. Conical hats can be made from coconut leaves or palm leaves.

Coconut leaves: To obtain coconut leaves, they must be purchased from the South. The leaves are transported and processed before being delivered. Then, the leaves are carefully selected and treated with sulfur to ensure durability and color retention. Although selecting leaves requires skill, hats made from coconut leaves cannot match those made from palm leaves.

Palm leaves: Creating a quality covering for the hat requires more skill, from selecting the leaves to sewing. Palm leaves must possess the following attributes: young and flexible leaves, green leaf veins, and a whitish-green color. If both the veins and the body of the leaf are whitish, the resulting hat will not be beautiful.

A conical hat meeting all standards must have a whitish-green color with light green leaf veins, a glossy surface, and the veins should be visible when woven onto the hat for it to be aesthetically pleasing. To achieve this, one must strictly adhere to the proper procedures.

Drying must follow precise techniques, using charcoal stoves (for palm leaves, no sun exposure). Subsequently, dew exposure for 2 to 4 hours softens the leaves. Then, a cloth bundle and an iron piece are placed on a moderately hot charcoal stove to iron the leaves flat. Each leaf must be meticulously selected and cut to a length of 50cm (for palm leaves).

For bamboo frames, artisans (typically men) carefully shave each bamboo strip to achieve uniform roundness with a diameter slightly larger than a toothpick. These bamboo strips are then bent into evenly glossy circles. Each hat consists of 16 bamboo strips shaped like this, arranged in a wooden conical frame from large to small. Subsequently, leaves are carefully placed on the frame, ensuring evenness and avoiding overlapping or misalignment.

Discussing hat-making processes without mentioning the poetic art of conical hats in Huế would be remiss. Particularly, Huế's poetic conical hats are exceptionally thin, comprising only two layers of leaves: the inner layer with twenty leaves and the outer layer with thirty leaves, with the poetry layer sandwiched in between. When layering leaves, artisans must skillfully prevent overlapping or misalignment to achieve the hat's delicate thinness. When held up to sunlight, the poetic conical hats reveal verses or distinct landmarks like Tràng Tiền Bridge or Thiên Mụ Pagoda. These details contribute to the unique charm of Huế's poetic conical hats. Those who wear these hats proudly display cultural landmarks or deeply Vietnamese poetry.

After arranging the leaves evenly and neatly around the rim, hat-making begins. Hats are stitched using flexible, durable, translucent white nylon threads. The stitches must be uniform, without any irregularities. Once the hat is fully stitched, an 'apricot' ornament, made from glossy thread, is attached to the hat's peak for added elegance. After accentuating the hat, artisans apply multiple layers of oil and expose it to sunlight for both beauty and durability. At the two large bamboo circles at the base of the conical frame, around the third and fourth bamboo strips, artisans use pairs of double knotted threads symmetrically to tie the straps.

The hat strap is often made of silk, satin, or velvet, featuring vibrant colors like purple, pink, or sky blue, adding charm and elegance to the wearer. The conical hat, like Vietnamese women, is beautiful not only in its details but also in how it complements the wearer's appearance. Artisans have imbued each hat with images reflecting the traditional cultural heritage.

From the North to the South, from Chuông Village in Tây Hồ to Ba Đồn, conical hats journey across roads, becoming familiar companions in the daily lives of women. The hat is not just a cherished item but also a loyal companion to laborers under scorching sun or pouring rain, accompanying them to the fields, markets, and beyond. It serves as a fan, dissipating fatigue and sweat under the intense summer sun, while enhancing the grace and femininity of women. After school, the sight of young ladies in pristine white áo dài, tilting gracefully under conical hats adorned with dangling coins, captivates hearts and inspires artists and performers alike. In art, dance performances by graceful girls in áo dài depict the gentle, modest, and elegant essence of Vietnamese women, earning applause from audiences.

To ensure the durability of the conical hat, it should be worn under sunlight and avoided in the rain. After use, store it in a shaded area, as exposure to sunlight may cause the rim to warp and the leaves to become brittle and discolored, diminishing its aesthetic appeal and lifespan. The conical hat is a symbol of our homeland, Vietnam, so let's cherish it carefully to avoid damage. Embrace its enduring traditional charm, and it will always stand by us through sunshine and rain.
 

6.  Detailed exposition of the Vietnamese conical hat, model number 6:

Together with the traditional 'áo bà ba' garment, the iconic 'conical hat' has accompanied Vietnamese women through fields and streams, under scorching sun and pouring rain, becoming an indispensable part of Southern women's attire and Vietnamese women's culture at large.

Today, the conical hat is a familiar sight, but few know the dedication and craftsmanship our ancestors poured into its creation, not just as a practical head covering for sun and rain but also as a symbol of elegance. The conical hat comes in various types: the Gò Găng hat made from palm leaves, used for horseback riding; the quai thao hat worn during festivals in Northern Vietnam; the bài thơ hat from Huế, thin and adorned with poems; the dấu hat with a sharp peak, once worn by soldiers. Crafted from materials like palm leaves, coconut leaves, or bamboo, the hat-making process demands meticulous attention to detail.

Crafting a beautiful and durable conical hat requires both artistry and skill, with each step of the production process requiring precision and care from skilled artisans.

In the technical phase, experienced hat makers select leaves with a subtle green hue, carefully shape the 16 conical rims, and meticulously press them round and smooth. The leaves are ironed multiple times to ensure they are flat and glossy. The shape of the conical hat depends heavily on the frame. The frame, also known as the hat mold, must be tailored to specific requirements to ensure the hat's balance, aesthetic appeal, and fit. Hat makers uphold traditional techniques, adjusting the spacing between rims and their curvature, following an aesthetic passed down through generations.

When constructing and thatching the leaves, it must be done with great skill, especially when using overlapping leaves to ensure the hat is thin and delicate, with the stitches positioned to allow the leaves to snugly interlock.

Upon completing the stitching, the craftsman attaches a beautiful mango-shaped piece using colored thread to the tip of the hat, then coats it with oil multiple times, exposing it to enough sunlight to achieve a glossy finish and durability.

Ever since its inception as a 'hat,' the conical hat has followed the footsteps of farmers to the fields, accompanied women on their early morning trips, served as a fan to soothe children to sleep, been gently placed on the heads of daughters by tearful mothers before their weddings. It has also found its place in literature, poetry, and folk songs, praising the love between young men and women, truly becoming a part of life's beauty and romance.

For ages, we have known the conical hat as a familiar object, deeply intertwined with the lives of Vietnamese people. The conical hat embodies simplicity, grace, and practicality in the lives of farmers amidst the 'one sunshine, two mists' on the fields and by the bamboo-lined village banks. Together with the 'áo dài' dress, the conical hat has become an iconic symbol, a traditional image of Vietnamese culture.

The conical hat has naturally entered the realm of legend as a cultural beauty, embodying the soul of the nation and inspiring poetry. Priced at only 45 - 50 thousand dong, it adorns the beauty and grace of the Vietnamese people.

Despite the modern era witnessing the production of countless fancy umbrellas, hats, and more, the image of the conical hat still prevails across rural roads and urban streets, showcasing its enduring presence and cultural significance in Vietnamese tradition.

To ensure durability and beauty, proper preservation is essential for items, including the conical hat. After use, Vietnamese women carefully fold and wrap the hat, prolonging its lifespan.

Although the conical hat is not exclusively for women, the mention of this iconic headwear often evokes the image of a tilted hat, adding to its impressive allure.

Compared to conical hats from other regions, the Hue conical hat has been immortalized in poetry and art. The image of a Hue girl with a conical hat, whether shading her head, held in her hand, or tilted shyly, exudes a distinctive Hue beauty. When the conical poem hat is mentioned, thoughts inevitably turn to Hue.

The Vietnamese conical hat is an indispensable accessory and a close companion to humans. Although it may not hold high material value, its spiritual significance surpasses any other hat.