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Hongnam: Vietnam's Minorities
The Lo Lo
The Lo Lo are
also called Mun Di, O Man, Lac To and so on. There are two small groups: Lo Lo
Hoa (Variegated Lo Lo) and Lo Lo Den (Black Lo Lo). Their population
is more than 3,000. They live chiefly in Dong Van and Meo Vac districts
(Ha Giang province), Bao Lac (Cao Bang) and Muong Khuong (Lao Cai). Their
language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman Group.
They mainly worship their ancestors. Their source of living depends mainly on maize and rice growing on burnt-over land.
Lo Lo Hoa women wear a low-necked vest and a pair of trousers covered with a short jupe. Lo Lo Den women wear pyjama-style trousers and a square-necked vest pulled over the head.Their written language was pictographic scripts but is no longer in use. The calendar of the Lo Lo divides the year into 11 month, each corresponding to the name of an animal. They have many family lineages. People of the same lineage co-habit in a village. The leader of the lineage is called Thau chu and is responsible for ritual ceremonies and the preservation of the customs of the lineage.
The folkloric culture of the Lo Lo is diverse, particularly expressed in dances, songs and old tales. Colourful designs are arranged in a special style on turbans, vests, jupes and trousers. Although life is still hard, much importance is attached to education. Many persons are university graduates or have finished secondary education. They assume important responsibilities in the locality or actively take part in economic and cultural activities. |
They usually
establish their villages on mountain slopes but close to sources of water.
They are grouped in villages, each having from 20 to 25 houses which are
built either on stilts or half on stilts and half on the ground and level
to the ground.
The Lo Lo practise monogamy and the wife lives in her husband's house. They possess
bronze drums, buried in the earth for maintenance and unearthed only for
usage. The head of each family lineage is the keeper of the bronze drums
which are only used in funerals or to keep time for dances.