Woman With Traditional Vietnamese Hat Editorial Photo

Non la (palm-leaf conical hat) is a traditional symbol of Vietnamese people without age, sex or racial distinctions. Like many other traditional costumes of Vietnam, Non la has its own origin, coming from a legend related to the history of rice growing in Vietnam. The story is about a giant woman from the sky who has protected humankind from a deluge of rain. She wore a hat made of four round shaped leaves to guard against all the rain. After the Goddess was gone, Vietnamese built a temple to commemorate her as the Rain-shielding Goddess.