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Nón lá (; ) or nón tơi () is a type of Vietnamese headwear used to shield the face from the
sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
and
rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
. It is a common name for many types of hats in Vietnam, but now it is mainly used to refer to
cones In geometry, a cone is a three-dimensional figure that tapers smoothly from a flat base (typically a circle) to a point not contained in the base, called the ''apex'' or '' vertex''. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, ...
with pointed tips. The hats have been worn since ancient times to protect the wearer from the sunshine and rain of Vietnam's
tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
. There were no archaeological evidence for an ancient origin of Vietnamese nón lá, although the hat itself is widespread across many Asian societies and was often associated with the peasantry. The recent and typical design of the non la was highly modeled after the coolies hat worn by Chinese laborers in
British Malaya The term "British Malaya" (; ) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British Empire, British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. Unlike the ...
during the late 19th century. In Vietnam today, there are a number of traditional hat-making villages, including Đồng Di ( Phú Vang), Dạ Lê (
Hương Thủy Hương Thủy is a district-level town (''thị xã'') of Huế in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. As of 2020 the town had a population of 95,299. The town covers an area of 426.96 km². This district has five urban wards, ...
), Trường Giang (
Nông Cống Nông Cống is a Commune-level town (Vietnam), township () and capital of Nông Cống District, Thanh Hóa Province, Vietnam.Huế Huế (formerly Thừa Thiên Huế province) is the southernmost coastal Municipalities of Vietnam, city in the North Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quảng ...
), and Chuông ( Thanh Oai -
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
).


Characteristics

Nón lá are typically woven with different types of leaves such as palm leaves,
straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry wikt:stalk, stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the crop yield, yield by weight of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, ry ...
,
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
, mortar leaves, hồ leaves, pandan leaves, and du quy diệp leaves. Cones are usually conical in shape, but there are also some types of cones that are wide and flattened. The conical leaves are arranged on a frame consisting of small
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
slats bent into an arc, pinned with thread, or silk or monofilament. The spokes are made into thin, small and supple bamboo sticks and then bent into circles of different diameters to form cones. All are arranged next to each other on a pyramidal mold. Nón lá is made by flattening each leaf, cutting the top diagonally with
scissors Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting var ...
, threading around 24 to 35 leaves together with a needle for one turn, and then equally arranging them on the hat mold. Since the conical leaves are thin and easily destroyed by heavy rain, the artisans created a layer between the two layers of conical leaves using the dry bamboo sheath, giving the hat strength and durability. In the next stage, the craftsman uses
rope A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...
to tie the conical leaves that have been spread evenly on the mold with the hat frame together and then they begin to sew. The worker puts the leaves on the side of the cone and then uses a wire and a sewing needle to make the hat into a pyramid. After forming, the hat is coated with a layer of
varnish Varnish is a clear Transparency (optics), transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not to be confused with wood stain. It usually has a yellowish shade due to the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmente ...
to increase durability and aesthetics (can add art decoration for hats used in art). In the middle of the 3rd and 4th spokes, the worker uses only two symmetrical pairs to tie the straps. Straps are usually made from velvet, soft silk, with many colors.


Classification

Nón lá is a common name for many other types of hats: * nón ngựa or nón Gò Găng made in Bình Định, made of lụi leaves, often used when riding a horse * nón cụ, often worn in weddings in South Vietnam * nón
Ba tầm A ''nón Ba tầm'' is a traditional Vietnamese flat palm hat. It should be distinguished from other traditional Vietnamese headwear, such as the conical ''nón lá'' and the coiled turban (''khăn vấn''). The ''nón ba tầm'' is traditionally ...
, popular in the North of Vietnam * nón bài thơ, a thin white conical hat with pictures or a few verses usually from in Huế * nón dấu, a cap with pointed tips of beast soldiers from the feudal period * nón gõ, a hat made of straw, grafted for soldiers in the feudal period * nón khua, a cap worn by servants of feudal mandarins * nón rơm, a hat made of hard-pressed straw * nón cời, a type of hat with tassels at the edge of the hat * nón lá sen or nón liên diệp * nón thúng, a round conical hat similar to the basket's basket, from the idiom "nón thúng quai thao" * nón chảo, with a cone that is round on the top like an upside-down pan Today, it is most commonly referred to the type of cone with a pointed tip.


Uses

Nón lá are often used to protect the wearer from the sun, rain, and can be used as a fan. Sometimes it can be used to draw water or to store it. Today, nón lá are also considered a special gift for tourists when visiting Vietnam.


Cultural Aspects

In theatrical art, nón lá appear in the girls' dance performances. It can be used within choreographies to create intricate illusions through the gentle and flexible movements of the dancers.


See also

*
List of hat styles Hats have been common throughout the history of humanity, present on some of the very earliest preserved human bodies and art. Below is a list of various kinds of contemporary or traditional hat. List See also *List of headgear References ...
*
Ba tầm A ''nón Ba tầm'' is a traditional Vietnamese flat palm hat. It should be distinguished from other traditional Vietnamese headwear, such as the conical ''nón lá'' and the coiled turban (''khăn vấn''). The ''nón ba tầm'' is traditionally ...
*
Khăn vấn Khăn vấn (Chữ Nôm: 巾問), khăn đóng (Chữ Nôm: 巾㨂) or khăn xếp (Chữ Nôm: 巾插), is a kind of turban worn by Vietnamese people which became popular beginning with the reign of the Nguyễn lords. The word ''vấn'' mean ...
*
Vietnamese clothing Việt Phục, or Vietnamese clothing, is the traditional style of clothing worn in Vietnam by the Vietnamese people. The traditional style has both indigenous and foreign elements due to the diverse cultural exchanges during the history of V ...
* Asian conical hat * ''The Lucky Hat'' (Vietnamese gameshow)


References

{{Reflist Vietnamese headgear