Conical hats (Nón lá)

Hue's nón lá is a traditional conical hat made by assembling and sewing thin natural leaves over a shaped frame. The craft has been practised in Hue for hundreds of years and remains one of the city's recognised traditional handicrafts.

The nón bài thơ, or poem hat, is a distinctive Hue form. Thin paper images and verses are incorporated into the hat so that scenes associated with Hue, such as Truong Tien Bridge and Ngu Binh Mountain, can appear when the hat is viewed against light.

The craft is still practised in Hue, although some specialised parts of the process are becoming rare. Hue Tourism recently documented a maker who prepares the cut paper used by nón bài thơ makers, showing that this specialised knowledge is still active.