HomeBa Be national park ethnic group
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Ba Be National Park is home to over 3,000 people from five different ethnic groups. For over 2,000 years, Ba Be has been inhabited by Tay people, who make up the majority. Nung and Dao people may have arrived about 100 years ago and Kinh and Mong are relatively recent arrivals.
There are 13 villages in the national park, some of which are almost exclusively inhabited by one ethnic group as shown in a map of villages around Ba Be National Park. Usually, Tay villages are situated in low-lying areas, Dao villages at mid-elevations and Mong villages in the uplands.
Tay and Nung
The Tay and Nung people both belong to the Tay – Thai language group and have many cultural similarities. Traditionally both Tay and Nung build stilt houses with 4 to 7 rows of columns supporting a living area above the ground and storage space for agricultural equipment and livestock underneath. The house is constructed with a two or four-sided roof made from thatch, palm leaves or roof tiles. Such houses are prevalent throughout Ba Be, although many families have now adopted to build their house directly on the ground.
Tay people throughout northern Vietnam have a long and advanced tradition of rice cultivation, usually along valley floors, in addition to cultivating a variety of other crops. The agricultural calendar is marked by the “Long Tong” (Descending to the rice fields) Spring Festival, which gives thanks for the previous harvest and prays for a successful harvest in the year to come. This festival is held next to Ba Be Lake on the 10th day of the lunar new year and is one of the most important local annual festivals.
Additionally, Tay people commonly raise livestock and around Ba Be Lake they also fish. The traditional Tay dug-out canoe is still used for fishing.
Traditional Tay dress and ubiquitous dug-out canoe of Ba Be Lake
Tay weaving
Tay people are renowned for their tradition brocade weaving and embroidery. It is normally used for room dividers, blankets, baby carriers, backpacks and tablecloths. A brocade weaving is often given as a gift on special occasions such as weddings or for a new-born baby.
Tay looms are among the largest and most sophisticated of the traditional looms found in Vietnam.
The primary materials are cotton and silk threads dyed in a variety of different colours.
Many Tay families in and around Ba Be National Park still weave traditional brocades to generate extra income for the family as well as preserving the tradition for the next generation. However the tradition and quality of the Tay embroidery is not as highly developed as in some other areas.
The eight-pointed star is a typical motif found in Tay weavings. It also features on other Tay handicraft like shutters and walls made from woven bamboo.
Ladies from Pac Ngoi village giving a musical performance.
Music and dance
The Tay have their own musical traditions, which continue to have a strong cultural signficance in the area. The national park encourages local musical and dance traditions and performances are often given by groups from local villages. The most distinctive instrument of the Tay people is the "dan tinh" a long string instrument with a semi-spherical sound box at the end.
There are 13 villages in the national park, some of which are almost exclusively inhabited by one ethnic group as shown in a map of villages around Ba Be National Park. Usually, Tay villages are situated in low-lying areas, Dao villages at mid-elevations and Mong villages in the uplands.
Tay and Nung
The Tay and Nung people both belong to the Tay – Thai language group and have many cultural similarities. Traditionally both Tay and Nung build stilt houses with 4 to 7 rows of columns supporting a living area above the ground and storage space for agricultural equipment and livestock underneath. The house is constructed with a two or four-sided roof made from thatch, palm leaves or roof tiles. Such houses are prevalent throughout Ba Be, although many families have now adopted to build their house directly on the ground.
Tay people throughout northern Vietnam have a long and advanced tradition of rice cultivation, usually along valley floors, in addition to cultivating a variety of other crops. The agricultural calendar is marked by the “Long Tong” (Descending to the rice fields) Spring Festival, which gives thanks for the previous harvest and prays for a successful harvest in the year to come. This festival is held next to Ba Be Lake on the 10th day of the lunar new year and is one of the most important local annual festivals.
Additionally, Tay people commonly raise livestock and around Ba Be Lake they also fish. The traditional Tay dug-out canoe is still used for fishing.
Traditional Tay dress and ubiquitous dug-out canoe of Ba Be Lake
Tay weaving
Tay people are renowned for their tradition brocade weaving and embroidery. It is normally used for room dividers, blankets, baby carriers, backpacks and tablecloths. A brocade weaving is often given as a gift on special occasions such as weddings or for a new-born baby.
Tay looms are among the largest and most sophisticated of the traditional looms found in Vietnam.
The primary materials are cotton and silk threads dyed in a variety of different colours.
Many Tay families in and around Ba Be National Park still weave traditional brocades to generate extra income for the family as well as preserving the tradition for the next generation. However the tradition and quality of the Tay embroidery is not as highly developed as in some other areas.
The eight-pointed star is a typical motif found in Tay weavings. It also features on other Tay handicraft like shutters and walls made from woven bamboo.
Ladies from Pac Ngoi village giving a musical performance.
Music and dance
The Tay have their own musical traditions, which continue to have a strong cultural signficance in the area. The national park encourages local musical and dance traditions and performances are often given by groups from local villages. The most distinctive instrument of the Tay people is the "dan tinh" a long string instrument with a semi-spherical sound box at the end.
Dzao and Mong
The Mong and Dzao belong to the same ethno-linguistic group and share many cultural similarities. They usually live in upland areas and traditionally practice swidden agriculture, moving from an area when the soil becomes depleted of nutrients. This practice is now being discouraged and is completely forbidden in national parks. In Ba Be, Mong usually cultivate their crops on sloping land, but also rely on forest products to supplement their livelihoods.
Mong
In Ba Be, Mong houses are always built directly on the ground. The staple crop of the Mong is maize, often ground to make "men men". Other common foods are pumpkins, soya beans, cassava and upland rice.
The Mong villages here are more isolated than those of other local ethnic groups and the Mong people live in close-knit communities. They have a strong sense of cultural identity expressed most noticeably through their distinctive dress. The main local sub-groups of Mong are the Black, White and Blue Mong.
Dzao spiritual life
The spiritual life of Dzao people centres on the worship of ancestors and Ban Vuong their mythical common ancestor. It also draws on elements of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
Most Dzao villages have a spiritual leader called a Thay Tao who acts as an intermediary between this world and the world of the spirits. The Thay Tao plays a vital role in Dzao spiritual life and is a moral support for the whole community.
The Thay Tao in front of this altar is conducting an initiation rite that all young men must go through to signify their entry into adulthood. The holy books he prays from have been transcribed by the Thay Tao himself from scriptures passed down through generations.
The Thay Tao conducts ceremonies for all significant events such as births, weddings, ground breaking, entering a new house, praying for good crops, festivals, funerals and death anniversaries.
.JPG "Ba Be national park tourism")
.JPG "Ba Be lake Biodiversity values")
.JPG "Pac Ngoi village tourist attraction...")
