Vietnam,
form the northernmost border gate to southernmost land strip, has a total of 54
ethnic groups. The Kinh account for highest percentage and remaining 53 groups
are often defined as ethnic minorities. Settled mainly in mountainous areas,
they are also called “mountainous groups”.
Black H'mong people
It is only in Sapa District that the Kinh accounting for
about 15 percent. The majority is made of H’mong with over 53 percent of
district’s total population. The next group are Dao, the Tay,
The Giay, and a small number of Xa Pho. In short, there are siethnic groups
settled in Sapa, difference from each other in terms of clothing, language,
customs, and beliefs, costume being the main feature to distinguish them. For
centuries, all these ethnic groups have migrated to Sapa in several waves and
settled here.
Red Dao people
The groups coexist in peace and unity, while still
maintaining their distinctive ways of life as well as cultural identities.
These is hardly a fight fro land and resources, or race and religious conflict.
Each party respects the other. This is a noble traditiona of ethnic groups in
Sapa in particular and throughout Vietnam in general. It is this
cultural abundance of human behavior that constitutes the attraction of Sapa.
The H’mong people were once good wet-rice cultivators,
living in the yangzi
River Valley.
Driven away by the han, they were gradually pushed southwards and divided into
small groups. The first migration wave to Hoang Lien Son Mountain
was 300years ago and the latest 100 years ago. They now number nearly 400,000
forming one of the seven major ethnic groups in Vietnam.
Tay People
Due to their extensive knowledge in wet – rice cultivation,
the H’mong were highly skilled. Because of they relatively late arrival, they
had to reclaim mountain slopes and turn them into terrace fields. A lot of
labor is needed to prepare a mat-sized on the mountain slopes and hillsides of
Sapa are considered as the most beautiful scenery in northwest of Vietnam,
attracting photographers and film producers alike.
In the past, the H’mong people relied on slash – and – burn
techniques to produce one or two crops of rice and corn a year, due to higher
educational standards and state policy on land and forest management, They have
given up nomadic farming and restored much forest cover in Sapa to life.
The entire wealth of religion, culture, production
experience and social life is transmitted orally through various songs, because the Hmong lost
their own script while fleeing from the invaders. Recently, they have created a
Latinized script and their children are going to school to study Vietnamese I
the official language of Vietnam.
Among the H’mong festivals, the ost important is Gau Tao,
organized in the early days of the first lunar month. Any family with few or no
children or facing bad luck should hold this festival for nine consecutive
days, or for three days during three day consecutive years. The festival,
complete with feast and games, attracts
family relatives and friends.
As the biggest group in Sapa, the H’mong have put their
imprint in the original identity of the region. There are many villages and
hamlets where most of the inhabitants are H’mong for example Ta Giang Phing,
Cat Cat , Sapa, Lao Chai, and seo Mi Ty.
The Dao are closely
related to the H’mong. Many scientists classify these two communities in the
same linguistic group called Hmong –Dao, from the sino-Tibetan family. They
believe that, a long time ago, these two groups shared the same origin. But they
were gradually separated and dispersed into small groups during their century –
long migration. These two ethnicities now possess difference identities, though
in some localities, even in many Sapa hamlets they still coexist.
The Dao once had their own script called Nom-Dao, composed
of ancient Chinese ideograms. Now, only some elderly persons can red and write
the script. A number of ancient books in many families have been lost. Only
shamans preserve some old books on ritual songs and chants. Every Dao man must
go through a rite called Cap Sac. To become an adult accepted by deities and
ghost soldiers. The Dao have no folk dances and seldom use musical instruments.
Young Boys and girls from difference hamlets usually exchange love song all
night, Previously, on every Saturday evening , the Dao youth ued to gather and
sing love songs right in the market and along the roads to Sapa town. This is
an original romantic festivity. In recent years , most of them have moved away
from the market because of curious tourists who tried to approach, take photographs
and tease the singers
The Dao in Sapa belong to the group of the Red Dao with the
most striking feature – the female scarlet header and their dresses are
considered the most beautiful among the various Dao groups. Most of Dao women
still retain the traditional custom of shaving their eyebrows and some hair on
their foreheads.
In Sapa , the Dao possess a large quantity of farming lands.
Many families own vast areas of forest to grow cardamon- a profitable export
item to china. They live well. Some households can purchase television sets and
motorbikes, even tractors and cars. When staying within the perimeter of their
villages or going to the fields, many prefer to wear Vietnamese – style
clothes. It is only when they go to market and on important accasions, such as
festivals, funerals and wedding ceremonies, that they wear their traditional
garments. Most communes in Sapa have a concentration of Dao especially in the
villages of Taphin, Trung Chai, SUoi
Thau, Nam
Cang and Thank Kim.
The Tay ethnicity belongs to the Tay
– Thai linguistic group. With a population of about 800,000, they constitute
the largest ethnic minority in Vietnam.
This group has played an important role in South China and Southeast Asia and
contributed to the formation of brilliants culture in South
Asia. As the biggest group in northeast Vietnam,
the Tay have settled in the entire midlands
and highland of the North. In Laocai province, their numbers are dwindling, and
in Sapa they populate some southern communes in the flat lowland abundant with
rice fields such as Ban HO, Nam Cang , Thanh Phu and Nam Sai.
Settled in fertile valleys with paddy fields and wide
streams, the Tay has a highly developed
traditional agriculture. Living in the vicinity of forests, they also engage in
hunting, gathering foresty products and medicinal herbs. In regions where there
were are strong streams or riparian areas, they catch fish with their nets and
wiers or dig ponds to raise fish. Their handicrafts are a good supply for the
local market, namely weaved cloth, bamboo- knit basketry, woodwork, cooking
oil, lime baking. Formerly the Nom- Tay script based on ancient Chinese
ideograms was used. Now only some elderly people can read it. The Tay have a wealth of folk tales, legends, myths and
epics, including stories similar to those of the Kinh people, for example Tach
Sanh, Kinh Giong, The buffalo and the tiger.
Among the Tay’s various
folk song and tunes the most interesting is the Luon, Sung at night to welcome
special guest and in festivities. In Sapa, this tune is called the Khap similar
to Quan Ho singing. The most important festival for the Tay
is at the start of a new crop, in early spring, when they pray for an abundant
years. They usually perform dances, martial art demonstrations and play various
and various games, for example Con throwing, top playing tug - of – war and
Chinese chess. Tay traditional remedies are
also well-known, especially antidotes to treat snake bites. At Sapa market, Tay vendors sell various medicinal herbs.
The Giay ethnicity is also a branch of the Tay- Thai group,
to be found mainly in the northernmost mountainous areas. The total population
of the Giay in Vietnam
is over 25,000, while in Sapa they account for about 2 percent of the
population, concentrating in the hamlets within the valleys of Tavan and Lao
Chai. Like the Tay, Nung and Thai ethnicities,
the Giay grow ordinary rice on flat fields. Previously, they could only
cultivate one crop a year. After the New Year holiday, they organize a festival
in the rice field to pray for a bumper crop.
In the village, people assit each other by exchanging labor,
especially in the busy periods of transplanting or during harvest time,
Harvested in the dry season, the rice is gathered in a neat heap in the field.
Then, it will be carried back home little by little for thrashing. The Giay
also raise cattle and poultry. They used to cook rice by half – boiling it
before steaming and the rice broth was used as drinking water throughout the
day. Giay costumes, with sparse embroidery, are simpler than those of other ethnicities,
merely decorated with some colored bands of cloth on collars and flaps. They
build houses with an earth foundation, wooden walls and hallways. The middle
section serves as sitting room and worshipping place.
The treasure of folk songs, proverbs and riddles is
abundant. The Giay have a bounty of stories to explain various natural and
social phenomena. Their folk songs are performed in all social activities, such
as funerals, wedding ceremonies, congratulations, festivals and love song
exchanges among the youth. The Giay believe that it is the ears that should be
satisfied, not the eyes. Thus old peoplestill participate in singing festivals
and conquer a lot of admirers. In the Giay hamlets of Sapa, intellectual
standards are rather developed. Many families have television sets; most
children go to school and study at universities or colleges.
Xa Pho people
The Xa Pho ethnicity, with a total population of 4000 in Vietnam,
belongs to the Phu La group. In Sapa, a few Xa Pho reside in some villages in
Nam Sai commune, in the southernmost remote areas, far from asphalt roads.
Communication thus is difficult. Some Xa Pho people speak mandarin. Others,
including those in Sapa, have preserved their mother tongue which belongs to
the Tibeto-Burman linguistic family.
The Xa Pho cultivate on terraces. They often exchange labor
in the agricultural seasons. They have stilt house on flat land plots and
smaller huts nearby to store rice. Beside breeding livestock , they are good at
growing cotton, weaving fabric and making basketry.
The Xa Pho of Sapa, though very poor, are most friendly and
hospitable. Whenever they receive special guests, Xa Pho girls are always
willing to join in cheerful dances. Trips to Xa Pho village are thus one of the
most attractive parts of tourist programs.
