Passionate about learning and accumulating traditional beauty since childhood, actively teaching these values ​​to the villagers and the young generation, participating in activities to promote and introduce the traditional culture of the Dao Thanh Y people..., Ms. Truong Thi Dong (born in 1962, residing in village 1, Bang Ca commune, Ha Long city) is loved by the villagers and called "Artisan of the village".

Attending a brocade embroidery class at the Thanh Y Dao Cultural Preservation Center (Bang Ca Commune, Ha Long City) in mid-August, we noticed that the teacher was an elderly Thanh Y Dao woman, wearing beautifully hand-embroidered clothes, who was very attentive in instructing the students.

That is Mrs. Truong Thi Dong, she holds the hand to guide each needle and thread for the women of the village, especially the "young" students. After participating for a few months, "young" student Dang Gia Han (village 2), only 9 years old, has skillfully embroidered patterns on small squares of brocade fabric. This "young" student shared: "I already know how to embroider patterns on bags. I hope to embroider beautiful traditional costumes of my people to wear at village festivals later."

Perhaps, because of Mrs. Dong's dedication, the people, even the children here, have learned about the unique brocade embroidery art of their people. Talking about her passion for brocade squares, she shared: Since childhood, my grandparents and parents have taught me about the traditional cultural beauty of the Dao Thanh Y people. Among them, the art of weaving and embroidering brocade squares with beautiful patterns, harmonious color combinations, and elaborateness attracts me the most. I was taught by my mother, and later I learned more from the elders, my sister is an excellent artisan...".

Perhaps because of that special passion, when she was 15 years old, Mrs. Truong Thi Dong was already known for being studious and good at traditional embroidery. In addition to learning from her mother, she also learned from Vi Thi Ca and other famous embroidery experts in the village. She also researched, learned and found ways to restore and introduce the traditional embroidery art of her people. Not only that, she also learned more about the singing, dancing and traditional cuisine of the Dao Thanh Y people. For many people, Mrs. Dong has become an embroidery artist, a "warehouse" of folk cultural knowledge of the village.

What is valuable is that she always keeps in mind to teach the younger generation the quintessence of her ethnic culture. "The more I learn, the more I see the beauty, the preciousness as well as the possibility of fading away of traditional embroidery art in modern life. Therefore, after many years of accumulation, I decided to teach it to many children and grandchildren" - Ms. Truong Thi Dong shared.

Therefore, since the age of 20, she has devoted herself to preserving, learning, remembering and teaching the art of embroidering and sewing traditional costumes (embroidering birds, weaving belts, making hats, etc.). Along with that, Ms. Truong Thi Dong also combined exchanging and teaching cultural features and life knowledge to the women of the Dao Thanh Y. These are folk songs, folk dances; folk games; how to make Do paper; Bau wine, folk knowledge and medicine of the Dao Thanh Y that she collected locally.

To avoid fading away, every year, Ms. Dong often teaches 1-2 classes on ethnic costume embroidery; actively participates in local activities at the Thanh Y Dao Cultural Conservation Area, builds a folk art club, an intergenerational club, and a community tourism group of Bang Ca commune; participates in performances and introduces Dao culture at Carnival festivals, city and provincial festivals; Cultural Festival of ethnic groups in the Northeast region... To spread the beauty of culture to the community, she also participates in teaching classes in communes outside the commune, such as: Son Duong, Dong Lam, Ky Thuong...

“Not only is she a close and enthusiastic artisan of the village, Ms. Truong Thi Dong also practices intangible cultural heritage in the community, preserving, maintaining, teaching and promoting traditional cultural values ​​as well as contributing to the development of cultural tourism in the locality. With that contribution, she received many certificates of merit from the commune, Ha Long City and above all, she was recognized, trusted and highly appreciated by the village community” - Mr. Dang Van Manh, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, assessed.