Non La Viet Nam

NON LA – BEAUTY OF VIET NAM

While girls from other countries love to wear hats with made of multi-color expensive materials, with attached feathers and bows, Vietnamese girls are attracted to the Traditional Vietnamese conical hats (or Non la) which cannot be found from anywhere else in the world. Not only girls but also women in “Ao dai” and “Non la” on their head become a poetical symbol of Viet Nam.
Traditional villages in Hue are the most famous places in Viet Nam to make Non la. To get perfect hats, Hue artisans making hats have to go through many stages, and any stage also requires the diligent hands of skillful craftsmen. The hat is creatively made from leaves, the simple materials of nature. These young leaves are brought from the softest trees and are exposed to the dew for one night. When dried, it is still soft enough to be flattened. The hat usually consists of 16 to 18 rims made from a special kind of bamboo. These rims are shaped thinly into conical-form. The leaves are sewn into all rims solely by hand. Finally, the hat is trimmed and painted a coat to keep it clean, smooth, and water-proof. The most aesthetic and sophisticated conical hats are “Non Bai tho”. On “Non Bai tho”, traditional designs such as pagodas, birds, flowers are inserted between the layers and when the hat is held up to the light, these motifs appear subliminally inspired. Because of its natural beauty, Non la is a special souvenir for visitors each time visiting Hue. Vietnamese girls wear this leaf hat like a little umbrella to protect themselves from sun or rain. Non la is very effective in shielding the sun rays because it is very big, almost twice as large as the original hats. The hat elegantly enhances the sentimental attractiveness of Vietnamese girls because they are mysteriously hidden, showing only their shy blush cheeks and long hair beneath the broad rims of the