The H'Mong people are a subgroup of the Miao ethnic group. It is believed Miao migrated from China during the 19th century, after centuries of Han pressure pushing always more southward. Nowadays, there is an estimated number of 750,000 Hmongs in Vietnam along the borders with China and Laos. They can be found in the highland regions in the provinces of Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Son La, Cao Bang and Nghe An. The Hmong are quiet isolated, living at altitudes of 1500 meters.
Hmong society is characterized by great solidarity among members of the same family and among villagers. The head of the village assumes the common affairs for the lineage. Young H'Mong men and women are free to choose their partners. Marriages are absolutely forbidden between men and women of the same lineage.The Hmong are spirit worshippers. They believe in household spirits and those of the door and cattle. Every house has an altar, where protection for the household is sought. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism have left their mark on a number of concepts and social institutions.
The H'Mong live mainly on slash-and-burn cultivation. They also grow rice and corn on terraced fields. Their principal food plants are corn, rice, and rye. Cotton is also grown and the Hmong are known to be good weavers.
Hmong are famous to have helped CIA to fight the Vietcong and the Pathet Lao communist army in Laos. About 15,000 Hmongs were killed during these fights in the late 1960's and a lot more were slaughtered in retaliation afterwards.
© Eric Lafforgue
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In North Vietnam, the temperature can be below zero! When i was there, the night, it was 0... No heating in the homestays, just a firewoods which makes more smoke than heat! And when you know that Hmong houses do not have any windows, but just a little door, i felt like a smoked salmon!
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www.ericlafforgue.com
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During Tet, i was invited in many families to share some food (very good) , and "happy water" (very strong). In this house, there was also an old man living there, as vietnamese families all live together. He was taking care of the fresh pork sausages for lunch. But most of the time he was stuck to the TV.
© Eric Lafforgue
www.ericlafforgue.com
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© Eric Lafforgue
www.ericlafforgue.com
Tags: Vietnam Asia Sapa horizontal color photo people person human being two two people two persons close up pig animal meat killing death mud muddy mammal northern Vietnam standing plank wooden plank exterior teapot cutting knife Mong Du Red Dao Red Dzao Dao people VIETNAM6127
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Aperturef/1.2
For Tet, little kids wear this traditional hat. This little girl had her hair shaved by her Red Dzao mother for the New Year. It is also a way to hide the fresh haircut! Dzao women also shave part of their hair in daily life.
Because of the mist and the fog, i have never had a so bad light during my trips... but this one works good. To get the black background, no photoshop, just ask the people to stay at the entrance of their house , in the middle of the door!
Ta Phin village, near Sapa
Red Dzao are a subgroup of the Dao, one of the 54 ethnic minorities in Vietnam. There are about 470,000 of them living in northern Vietnam, close to the chinese border (a lot can also be found in China and Laos). They originally migrated from China during the 19th century. Hence Dao have long used Chinese writings (but pronounced in the Dao way) called Nom Dao.
The Dao worship their ancestors called Ban Ho. Dao people build their houses either on stilts, level with the ground, or half on stilts and half on beaten earth.
Dao wear traditional clothes. Dao women are famous for only cutting their twice in their life, first at the age of 18 and then 38. They respect this custom as it is considered a sign of beauty for them. They do their hair by putting it back up on their head and sometimes by adding hair that has already been cut and that they inherited from their mother or grandmothers. Men and women cover their heads with a black or red scarves. Some women substitute this scarf by a turban that can adopt different forms. The traditional suit of the women is of bright colors. They also decorate their shirts with decorations made out of silver.
The Dao mainly live of rice cultivation and by growing subsidiary crops. Yet their economy is also based on weaving, carpentry, blacksmithing, papermaking and vegetable oil production.
© Eric Lafforgue
www.ericlafforgue.com
Tags: VIETNAM6841 Vietnam Asia Sapa vertical color photo people person human being one one person Red Dao Red Dzao tribe tribal ethnic group girl female youth childhood innocence kid headshot face head looking at camera ethnic minority northern Vietnam traditional dress traditional clothes interior beads Yao Dao Do Yao people Dao people
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