(VOVWORLD) -Established three years ago, the weaving club of Phung village in Bien Ho commune, Gia Lai province, is preserving the traditional brocade weaving craft of Vietnam’s Jrai ethnic minority, and creating jobs for the local women.
 The launch ceremony of the Phung village weaving club (Photo: Ngoc Anh)
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The headquarters and showroom of the brocade weaving club are at the home of Ro Lan Pel, who is the club’s head. All club members are local Jrai women who do weaving at the club or in their home.
Duk, Phung village’s chief, said that brocade weaving has been passed down through generations. “The village’s women established the weaving club to promote the craft and teach it to the younger generation. 10 young villagers are now learning the craft. The 23-member club’s products are shirts, pants, and woven fabrics with elaborate patterns,” said Duk.
He added a popular patterned product costs about 20 USD. More intricate patterns can cost as much as 80 USD. The club members gather every week at the headquarters to share their experiences.
 The club members weaving fabric (Photo: Ngoc Anh)
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It takes from a week to a month to complete a piece, depending on its size and design, says a club member named Ngan. “We weave pants, shirts, loincloths, bags, and scarves. The patterns vary by ethnic group. Although the patterns of the Ede, Bana, and Jrai share a number of characteristics, the patterns of the Jrai have more motifs,” said Ngan.
“Due to a lack of promotion and advertising, the club's products are sold mainly in Gia Lai province, but tourists from the US, Canada, and India have come to the village and bought our products. Customers in Ho Chi Minh City have also ordered from us.”
Weaving patterns is a time-consuming process. The brocade patterns are mainly geometric shapes – squares, rectangles, and diamonds – but they also reflect the daily activities of the ethnic people. According to a club member, “Weaving patterns is very difficult. And weaving women's clothing is more difficult than making men's clothing.”
The weaving club of Phung village has combined the preservation of the craft with local tourism development. Traditional weaving looms are displayed in the club’s showroom where visitors are introduced to the customs and culture of the Jrai and their traditional weaving craft.
 Products made by the Phung village weaving club (Photo: Ngoc Anh)
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Ro Lan Han, the daughter of the club’s head, is in charge of introducing the village in Vietnamese, English, and Jrai to visitors. Although weaving is a sideline, it has improved the lives of the club members, she says.
“Jrai women must learn how to weave because it’s our tradition. The main occupation remains farming. Weaving is secondary. During the day, the women work in the fields. They weave in the evening to boost their household income. The club’s products are sold on social networks like Facebook and TikTok,” said Ro Lan Han.
The weaving club has become an outstanding contributor to the socio-economic development of rural Gia Lai province.