Tiền.
Tự do.
Tương lai.
This is how they say it in Vietnam «Money. Freedom. Future.»
Tiền.
Tự do.
Tương lai.
This is how they say it in Vietnam «Money. Freedom. Future.»
Non la, a conical hat, is an essential part of a Vietnamese person’s image as viewed by contemporary Europeans.
In a country scorched by the sun or flooded by rains for the most part of the year, it is hard to think of a more convenient way to protect yourself from both factors. “Non” means “leaf hat” in Vietnamese. Most often, it is really made of palm leaves, bleached and specifically treated. The frame is made of bamboo and the leaves are attached with nylon threads (or plant tissue in the old days). Sometimes the surface is covered with drawings or even poems that one can see only when looking at the sun through the hat.
Long ago, almost all Vietnamese people wore these hats, except for the local elite. It is still popular in the rural areas, particularly for work in the field. In addition to its apparent use as headwear, it can be used as a fan or a fruit basket. When it gets extremely hot, one can wet it and it would help to endure the heat.
Non has been and remains an essential accessory of any Vietnamese beauty. It is believed to sharpen the woman’s beauty, her eyes looking more mysterious and secretive from under the hat. Combined with ao dai, a traditional tight-fitting dress, it creates a very unusual and exquisite look. Some girls attach a small mirror on the inside of the hat so that they can always check if their makeup is alright.
Non still remains one of the best recognized symbols of Vietnam and a popular souvenir to take home.