Hill Tribes of Vietnam Travel Guide
Amazing Lifestyles of Ancient Peoples
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The term ‘hill tribe’ is applied to the mountain people of South East Asia and southern China and refers to those groups which have traditionally cultivated the land and who have a separate and distinct language and culture from lowlanders. In Vietnam the French referred to these people as montagnards and this is a term still used today.
The hill tribes are broken into many different ethnic groups and then further subdivided again. The study of their cultures has revealed fascinating insights into their lives and positive, sustainable interaction with these wonderfully friendly people can - if conducted properly – be rewarding for both parties.
There are at least 15 separate groups making up the hill tribes in Vietnam; many more if the sub-divisions of each tribe is taken into account. Each has its own style of dress, language (or variations), agriculture, method house construction and religion: in short each is distinct.
One of the ways in which the layman can tell each group apart is, to some extent, by their traditional dress which is often colourful, especially amongst the women. Embroidery is skill learnt from a young age in hill tribe villages and put to amazing effect in some of the dress, for example amongst the Dzao and Hmong. Whereas in some areas traditional dress is being abandoned the tribes of Vietnam still largely retain the tradition.
Some of the tribes of Vietnam have been in the country since time unrecorded; others migrated in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, usually as a result of persecution of poor harvests in their previous homelands.
Each lives at a different altitude within the mountains and thus their homes vary in style and the crops they raise differ. Slash and burn agriculture is common. In common with their neighbours Vietnam has attempted to persuade the tribes to move away from this destructive method of agriculture with varying degrees of success.
Hmong
Originally from China but now widespread throughout the region they have long been known for their cultivation of opium. They assisted the American’s in the Secret War in Laos and many have emigrated to the US. They have animist beliefs and are subdivided into the Flower, Red, Green, Black and White Hmong amongst others.
Muong
The Muong language belongs to the Viet-Muong group but the group are thought to originate from China. Men dress in indigo trouser suits; women wear white rectangular scarves, long skirts and short vests that are open at the front (or at the shoulders) without buttons. The skirt is complemented by a large silk belt usually embroidered with flowers, figures, dragons, phoenixes etc. The Muong farm wet rice and Muong women are known to be skilled loom weavers. Like the Hmong they are animists.
Nung
Ancestor worship is common amongst the Nung who number some 900,000 in Vietnam. The Nung language resembles Tay, and belongs to the Tay-Thai group. The Nung have a written language called Nom Nung and an abundance of folksongs. The Nung mainly wear indigo clothing and their economy is rice, corn and cash crop based.
Tay
One of the most populous groups at 1.2 million the Tay live along the valleys and the lower slopes of the mountains. Ancestor worship is important with an altar for the ancestors placed in a central location within the house. Tay villages are always built at the foot of a mountain and are often named after mountains, fields or rivers; each village contains some 15-20 households. Tay women wear knee-length dresses, which are split at the right side with five buttons along the armpit, and narrow sleeves.
Dzao
Often called ‘Dao’ the Dzao live along the Sino-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Lao borders and in some of the Central Highland mountains. Dzao houses are often built on stilts. The Dzao have long used Chinese script but pronounced in the Dzao way. One of the most colourfully attired of all the tribes the Dzao women are famous for their silver wear. The Dzao mainly grow rice and grow subsidiary crops. Other occupations include weaving, carpentry, blacksmithing, papermaking and vegetable oil production.
A trekking trip to hilltribe villages is a sensitive affair. We recommend only the use of tour operators who display a genuine wish not to adversely change the people they visit. Asking what sustainable tourism initiatives helping hill tribes the company supports and asking to see evidence is one way; another is by word of mouth. Use companies that select their guides from the region itself (ideally from a hill tribe) and who have strict policies on behaviour within tribal villages. There is no reason why hill tribe villages should move into the 21st centuries – they are no museum exhibits after all – but we should endeavour that they do so whilst recognising and retaining their traditional cultures. Choose carefully and visit responsibly.
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