At first, villagers only gave the poetic conical hat to their relatives and special guests as gifts. As it was later loved by more and more visitors, many decorative patterns were added in addition to the well-known line "Whoever comes to Hue, do not forget to buy a poetic poem as gift". The Aodai, Thien Mu pagoda, Truong Tien bridge or lines of poem showing the soul, love and characters of Hue locals then appeared on the conical hat, leaving a lasting impression on visitors. Unlike the poetic conical hat, there is another local product made from "ke" leaves. This type is thicker, often used by villagers instead of being made in large number.
Palm leaves chosen must be light green in color (Photo: internet)
Tay Ho village girls are taught how to make conical hat at very young age. To create beautiful products, only light green palm and "goi" leaves are selected. Adding leaves on the already-prepared hat frame is considered as the most difficult step and therefore it is often performed by skillful craftsmen only. It is uneasy to prevent layers of leaves from overlapping, to gently sew leaves together, and keep the hat thin, yet strong enough to protect users from the rain.
Getting ready for conical hat making process (Photo: internet)
Nowadays, visitors coming to Hue usually visit Tay Ho village, pick the conical hats on which their favorite lines of poem are written home to present as gift, to exude their charm or simply protect themselves from sun and rain. Following visitors to all parts of the country, Tay Ho conical hat has contributed to glorifying Hue, the homeland of traditional craft villages and skillful craftsmen.