A local story says that when a Mong girl gets married, she usually brings with her a linen skirt sewn by her mother, not only as a casual dress, but also as a custom-made one of her ethnic origin.

Growing and weaving flax, making linen clothes, embroidering of using wax to paint designs, all have long been a traditional craft of the Mong women. Each Mong girl has a plot of land to grow flax from which she gets threads to weave fabrics and makes clothes for her family and especially to make her own dress for her wedding day. The designs embroidered or painted on the dress, which is preserved through the memories of Mong women, are diverse. They are nature-related patterns, such as snails, a crab, a snake, a worm, a bird, and flowers of such plants as pumpkin, garlic, canarium, etc.

Mong women are also very skillful in embroidering circles, twisting and spiraling lines which are placed symmetrically, producing a flexible and harmonious composition. These designs reflect the change of the sun, weather, space and time, in the ancient view about the space of many population, and a common cultural treasure of many nationalities.

Mong women’s linen skirt in particular is a closed one with many creases,large enough so that when it is unfolded and laid out, it will be a circle. Women of each Mong ethnic group are differentialed by their skirt and the colours they use in their clothing. When wearing as skirt, they often put on a waist band made of embroidered fabric. Over their skirt these ladies waer an indigo-coloured apron adorned with embroidered designs.

With only the four colours of green, red, white and yellow, Mong women can produce colourful and charming patterns on their dress, which reflect the rich and diverse nature around. Their unique and beautiful dress is also something very special,not only because of the way it is made, but also it reflects the wearer’s deep an inner most feelings.