Our local guide (Ah Xiong) shares with us the different uses of the hat:
1. Hat
2. Lamp shade (as seen here)
3. Decorative ornament
4. Comes in handy when the ladies need to clear their bladder
I'm sure the last point will pique your interest like me when I first heard it from the local guide (Ah Xiong).
According to Ah Xiong, the local Vietnamese ladies will do their marketing daily. For some rural areas, the distance from their homes to the markets can be quite a distance. Hence, the hat will come in handy when the ladies need to relief themselves along the way where there is no toilet facilities. The ladies will find a quiet spot in the field to do their business. This is where things get interesting, Ah Xiong ask: Do you use the hat to cover the upper portion or lower portion of your body? Most of us reply the lower half. But according to local practise, the hat is used to cover the face. That's because the lower portion looks the same for everyone, but the ladies use the hat to hide their faces so no one will recognise them when they are going about their business.
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