Ethnicity Vietnam: meetings with Vietnamese tribes

Vietnam ethnicity: history and origins 

A Vietnamese legend explains the origin of the Vietnam ethnic group as follows: the southern dragon king, Lac Long Quan, married Au Co, a beautiful princess from a northern mountain. At first, they lived in the mountains and Au Co gave birth to a hundred beautiful boys. After living a long period in the mountains, the dragon king, nostalgic for the sea, his original habitat, brought half of his children to the bottom of the ocean. His eldest son then became the founder of the country, known as King Hung. The other half of the children of Au Co and Lac Long Quan who remained with their mother Au Co, chose to reside in the mountains and then became the ancestors of today's mountain tribes.

In reality, the ancestors of the Viet people, called Lac Viet, settled as a community in the Red River Delta, located in northern Vietnam , around four to five thousand years ago. Minority ethnic groups, on the other hand, originate from different places in East and Southeast Asia. The ancestors of the northern hill tribes were migrants from southern China who settled on the borders of Vietnam and China. The ancestors of the tribes, currently residing in central and southern Vietnam, were immigrants from the ancient kingdom of Champa which once existed in central and southern Vietnam. Some ancestors of these tribes came from the ancient Khmer empire which ruled the Mekong Delta for a long time.

The linguistic particularities and geographical distribution of ethnic groups in Vietnam

As you can imagine, with so many different ethnicities, the languages and geographic distribution are extremely diverse and complex. Ethnologists have divided them into eight groups.

The Kinh ( Viet-Muong group ), Chinese ( Han group ), Khmer ( Mon-Khmer group ), and Cham ( Malayo-Polynesian group ) peoples live in all regions of the country, but mainly on the deltas, islands, and areas urban.

Most ethnic minority groups live in the middle and high mountains. The Sino-Tibetan (Han and Tibeto-Burmese ), Tai-Kadai and Hmong-Dzao ethnic groups reside primarily in the mountains of northern Vietnam. The Malayo-Polynesian group lives only on the south-central coast, the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and the South.

Some unique ethnic groups in Vietnam

Tay ethnicity

With 1.845 million people in 2019, the Tay are Vietnam’s largest ethnic minority, comprising ~1.92% of the population of Vietnam. They mainly live in the northern and northwestern provinces of Vietnam, including Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, and Lao Cai. It is possible to meet them in the ancient village of the Tay people in Na Hang (Tuyen Quang) or during their traditional "Long Tong" festival, held every year in early January in Na Hang or Ba Be (Bac Kan), where Then dances and harvest prayers showcase their vibrant community spirit.

The Tay wear cotton clothes, woven by hand and most often dyed with indigo. The women wear long tunics with high collars, buttoned on the right side. Their pants have wide legs and a wide waistband. Tay women love to wear jewelry, especially silver necklaces and bracelets on their arms and wrists. Men's outfits are similar to women's.

>>> Read more: Tay People - Vietnam’s Timeless Ancient Ethnic Group

Thai ethnicity

The Thai people live mainly in the northern and central provinces of Vietnam such as Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, and Thanh Hoa, with about 1.82 million people (2019).

Mai Chau (Hoa Binh), Pu Luong (Thanh Hoa), and Muong Lo (Yen Bai) are home to a large concentration of White Thai and Black Thai. White Thai love bright colors like white, pink, with V-neck shirts. Black Thai choose dark colors like black, brown.

Hmong ethnicity

The Hmong are one of the largest ethnic groups in Vietnam. They live mainly in the northern mountains, at 1000 meters above sea level and in the provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. You will notably see a good number of Hmong dressed in their traditional clothes when you visit authentic ethnic markets in Son La (Pa Co market), in Ha Giang (Khau Vai, Pho Cao and Coc Pai markets) or in Lao Cai (Bac Ha, Can Cau, Coc Ly and Muong Khuong markets).

There are different ethnic subgroups of Hmong: White Hmong, Black Hmong, Flower Hmong, Red Hmong, Blue Hmong, Man Mong, and Na Meo. They are differentiated by the colors of their traditional clothing. The dress of Hmong women is considered the most beautiful of all ethnic groups in the mountains of northern Vietnam. It is very colorful and decorated with various bright embroidery patterns. It is handmade by women, using the traditional hemp weaving and batik technique, the unique know-how of the Hmong.

Lolo ethnicity

It is broken down into two subgroups: the black Lolo and the variegated Lolo. The latter mainly live in the districts of Dong Van, Meo Vac (Ha Giang), Bao Lac (Cao Bang) and Muong Khuong (Lao Cai). Colorful Lolo women often wear a colorful cardigan with a high collar and pants under a short skirt. Black Lolo men wear black pants, the same material as pajamas, and a black vest with a square collar that they pull over their head. Colorful designs are incorporated into their turbans, vests, skirts and pants. The Lolo people are one of the few ethnic groups in Vietnam who still use bronze drums, a traditional musical instrument, sacred and closely associated with their belief.

Experience intensely emotional moments during a stay in the village of Khuoi Khon (Bao Lac) where the “Rendez-vous en Terre Inconnue” report was filmed. In order to better understand the morals and customs of the black Lolos in Bao Lac Vietnam, nothing better than joining them and visiting their homes while discovering their way of life.

Dzao ethnic group

The Dzao ethnic group lives mainly in the northern mountainous provinces of Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau and Tuyen Quang and in the provinces of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc and Hoa Binh. You will have the opportunity to witness a colorful parade of traditional clothes from the Dzao and other ethnic groups when you stroll through the ethnic markets in northern Vietnam of Si Lo Lau (Lai Chau) or Coc Ly, Bac Ha, Can Cau (Lao Cai).

There are many ethnic subgroups, which are differentiated by their lifestyles, customs and traditional clothing. Each Dzao group is easily identified by their colorful clothing. Typically, a woman's outfit includes a shirt, a skirt, a scarf, a pair of leggings, and jewelry. A man wears a short shirt with a line of buttons.

The Red Dzao wear red clothing from head to toe. They dress in red shirts, leggings, pants, scarves and belts. The Dzao Tien are the only Dzao group to wear skirts. The Dzao Quan Chet are also called Son Dau, meaning "painted head", because the women shave their hair, comb their heads and cover their heads with traditional scarves. Dzao Quan Trang (white pants) always wear white pants.

Cham ethnic group

The Cham, who have long lived along the central coast of Vietnam, have a rich culture deeply influenced by Indian culture. They originate from the ancient kingdom of Champa located between the 2nd and 17th centuries in what is now Central Vietnam. The local population is composed of two groups: Cham Brahminists (Cham Balamon) in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan. Those residing in Chau Doc, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City follow what are known as Muslim Chams (Cham Bani).

Both men and women wear long, one-piece sarongs. Men wear button-front shirts while women wear long-sleeved blouses. The main color of their daily outfit is white cotton. Their most important festival, called Bon Kate, is held at the Towers of Cham in the tenth month of the lunar year.

As a multicultural country, Vietnam has an ethnically diverse population. However, friendliness and hospitality are two characteristics that are found everywhere in this country. Would you like to discover Vietnam in depth from north to south and have authentic encounters with the different ethnic groups of Vietnam on your way?