An overview of history, culture and society of Hmong people in Thanh Hoa

mong Trang people (Mongz Dou) have the largest population and the Hmong Den 
(Mongz Duz) people have the smallest population. The Hmong people in Thanh Hoa have many 
families such as Ho, Thao, Lau, Va, Cha, Ly, Vu, Vang, and Dang. The most populous families 
are Lau, Ho and Thao. Due to living in high mountainous areas, their livelihood mainly is on 
shifting cultivation activities combined with raising, gardening and forest exploitation. Basically, 
Hmong ethnic community in Thanh Hoa preserve many traditional cultures, contributing to 168
enriching the diversity of the muti-colour cultural picture of Xu Thanh ethnic communities. 
3. Cultural and social characteristics of Hmong in Thanh Hoa 
 Like the Hmong people living in our northwest region, the resident unit of the Hmong 
people in Thanh Hoa likes the village of Kinh and Thai people. Hmong Trang people (Mongz 
Dou) call their village as lú ro and Hmong Den (Mongz Duz) people called it as lu rò. 
However, because of living alongside with Thai people for a long time, Hmong people often 
call their resident units as same as Thai people do, namely Ché Lau, Xia Non, Mua Xuan, Pu 
Ngua, and Lo Ha villages... 
 Each village of the Hmong usually has more than 10 rooftops in one place or in many 
places. The characteristic of the Hmong‟s village is that they have their own territory and 
business areas; the residents of a village consist of many family names and there is one more 
crowed family than others; each village has a common Earth Gods (head of the territory) and 
common conventions related to agricultural production, animal husbandry, forest protection 
and mutual help. 
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 Each village of Hmong people is seen as a cultural community. Hmong people have 
belief in worshiping the Earth Gods, the Earth Gods may be general Gods, and sometimes be 
 Fac. ofFac. Grad. Studies, Mahidol Univ. M.M. (International 
the men who exploit this land, protect and build a village or the leaders who have the duty to 
protect the Hmong ethnicity. In the spiritual life, early spring festivals are the chances for the 
whole community, especially young men and women, singing and playing, organizing folk 
games such as swinging, Ferris wheel, wrestling and throwing ball. In addition, there are 
traditional Tet ceremonies, such as Sao Nong ceremony which is held annually in January to 
worship in the Earth Gods (Thổ ti, Thổ địa). 
 Hmong people have a number of family names, each family name has many descents 
and each descent has different lines. Specially, the cohesion of family names of Hmong 
people is solid expressed through the authority of the Head of families, who can decide the 
settlement of his villages as Hmong‟s idiom often says that: He holds his hand, his villagers 
stay; He opens his hand, his villagers leave. People who have the same family names like 
Lau, Thao, Ho consider each other as brothers despite they have common old ancestor. The 
families in the same line do not need to reside near each other. Although they live far away, 
everytime they meet, they are considered as family members. Therefore, it is possible to 
explain why Hmong people often migrate in the lineages, even by the village [8]. This 
indicates the durable characteristics of Hmong‟s culture. 
 Hmong family is a patriarchal family, highly appreciating ancestral origin. As a result, HospitalityManagement) / 
family and descent relationship of the Hmong people are connected and strong, as well as they 
are responsible for protecting each other. That is why in married life, despite of the distance 
between ten generations, a man and a woman are not able to marry because of the same 
ancestor and blood relatives. Due to the nature of the nuclear patriarchal family (a couple and 
their children living together), when their son get married, he tends to live separately. That 
trend is expressed in the proverb of the Hmong people: "Big trees split many branches, crowed 
people split into small group” (Cây to cây chia nhánh; người đông người chia nhỏ). 
 Although in traditional society, Hmong‟s men are valued in the family, the role of 169
women is very important and just behind the head of the family. Particularly, when the house 
owner decides some important issues, he discusses only with his wife and when only his wife 
agrees, everything go smoothly. In addition, the family is seen as a social unit, the division of 
labor among family members of Hmong people is also strict according to gender and age. 
The men often take on the heavy work such as: plowing, harrowing, cutting trees, hoeing, 
planting. Otherwise, the women take part in farming, doing embroidery at home, doing 
housework, weaving and knitting. 
 In Hmong‟s society, people always show their high respect to the elderly. Therefore, 
the authority and responsibility of the village patriarch is vital. If there is any conflicts in the 
family and village, the village patriarch is responsible for reconciliation, punishment, and 
being an advisor to deal with the big issues of the community like a marriage, funerals, etc. 
 In the ways of behavior, the Hmong in Thanh Hoa believe that when visitors come, the 
owners must greet the guests first, this shows the humility and respect for the guests. In 
communicating with the outside world, Hmong people also know how to use Thai language - 
like „popular language‟ in mountainous areas in the west of Thanh Hoa. Currently, Hmong‟s 
young generation can speak 3 languages: mother tongue (Hmong language), Thai language and 
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national language (Vietnamese- Kinh). Therefore, Hmong people are able to communicate with 
people living in Laos‟ border area, because most of them are mostly Thai and Hmong people. 
 Fac. ofFac. Grad. Studies, Mahidol Univ. M.M. (International Hospitality Management) / 
Hence, for a long time, the Hmong and Thai people in the border areas of Vietnam and Laos 
have a mutual understanding in exchange goods and culture. These exchanges create a strong 
relation between two countries day by day. 
 Furthermore, Hmong people have a typical physical cultural life, creating their own 
values, expressing ethnic identity and ethnic consciousness. It is tradition of living in house 
builded on the ground, stalling, covering around the house with wooden planks or bamboo 
wattle, and the palm-leaf roofs or embankments, or wood called sa mu. 
 Regarding to traditional clothes, Hmong‟s men wear loose-fitting trousers, drawstring 
belts. Their‟s clothes are usually black with some patterns, but loose-fitting trousers have no 
pattern at all. Additionally, Hmong women wear skirts and patterned shirts. The skirt has two 
types, a layer and multi-layer skirts. Hmong women's costumes in Thanh Hoa have three 
different designs, showing the suitability for physique, psychology and three years of age: 
unmarried girls, middle-aged women, and elderly women. Furthermore, women wear a turban 
on their head, and the men often wear soft hats or not. 
 In term of cuisine, Hmong people eat mainly rice, sticky rice is only available during 
festivals. Previously, due to the difficult conditions, Hmong people often use water instead of 
soup to ea with rice, or boiled vegetables eat with fish sauce or salt, boiled vegetable water is 
used to eat with rice. The dish of pork impregnated with salt hung in the kitchen corner for a 
year is also a unique dish of the Hmong people. Black meat chicken is also a special food of 
the Hmong people, often cooked to treat precious guests, this type of chicken is also used to 
make medicine for the good health. 
 Hmong people cerebrate the Tet‟s holiday following the New Year calendar, at the end 
of the year, in December. The time of spring celebrations usually takes three to five days, but 
sometimes lasts up to half of month depending on economic conditions of each village, each 
year. In a few days off, Hmong people prepare meals and often invite people in the same 170
family names come to join with them for fun and joy. In those days, the households often 
slaughter pigs, they have the pork dishes with enough intestine of pigs, with a bottle of wine, 
the sticky rice, then they set on the ancestor altar (đa xử ca) to invite the ancestors to come 
back home and join the Tet‟s holiday with them. On the holidays and New Year, people wish 
each other beautiful words, hope that everyone will be healthy, have many descendants and 
hope for productive crops. The visitors come to Hmong village on this occasion will be 
warmly treated by their compatriots, which is the hospitable tradition of the Hmong people. 
 Like Hmong people in the northern mountainous region of our country, the Hmong 
people in Thanh Hoa have a rich cultural and spiritual life. First of all, the treasure of folk arts 
and literature include stories, folk songs, proverbs which reflects the creative ability of the 
masses and their awareness of nature, society, culture and national history [8]. 
 Many folk tales reflect the unpleasant side of society: the suffering of the orphans, the 
grim treatment of sister-in-law with the bride, the evil step-mothers, the cruel mandarins; 
otherwise dignifying talented people from the residents, beautiful love stories, victors who 
against cruel men. The explanations about the phenomena of the physical and spiritual life of 
Hmong people are various (making ghosts, worshiping the women (cúng mụ), women are not 
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allowed to go upstairs, worship the columns of house, panpine dance (múa Khèn)that is all 
remembered by family members as family activities in the normal life. 
 Fac. ofFac. Grad. Studies, Mahidol Univ. M.M. (International 
 In the folk literature of Hmong people, folk songs occupy a significant position. Many 
folk songs have good ideological content, subtle and discreet expressions, are reminded by 
images closed to daily life. The common feature of folk songs is that it not only sings with 
lyrics but also sing with other instruments like wit pan- pine (khèn), Jew‟s harp (đàn môi), 
and leaf horns (kèn lá). These instruments are closely associated with folk songs of the 
Hmong. When people listen to pan- pine, Jew‟s harp and leaf horns, they deeply understand 
the content that the performer expresses. In folk songs, there are not only short stories but 
also some famous long episodes such as Tiếng hát làm dâu (the voice of bride), which is 
known by other ethnic groups. Mostly, Hmong people knows more or less the folk songs as 
well as the way of using their traditional instruments. 
 Hmong‟s folk music is lyrical and plentiful which reflects the natural beauty of the 
highlands, the bright beauty of Hmong‟s spirits, therefore many researchers are interested in 
studying Hmong‟s music. 
 Hmong‟s musical instruments are very unique. Panpine is used in funerals and some 
family rituals. At the time when the men go for walk or relax under the moon at night after a 
long hardworking day, they tend to blow panpines. Also, Jew‟s harp and learf horns are the 
means of exchanging the hearts of young men and women in the late night. Especially, the 
 HospitalityManagement) / 
meaning behinds the word of the song they play with those instruments is more powerful than 
the word itself [5]. Moreover, for Hmong people in Thanh Hoa in general, flute is also a close 
and popular instrument in their spiritual life. This is also an instrument that is easy to express 
heart, especially the feelings of boys and girls in love. 
 In some areas of Thanh Hoa province, the panpine dances of Hmong people are also 
popular with Kinh, Muong, and Thai people. They use panpine dances in parties, events, 
public holidays, public celebrations, house celebrations, New Year celebrations. In some 
special event like the music events to welcome the Congress, welcome the honour guests, 
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Hmong‟s panpipe dances is performed by Hmong people or by other ethnic groups. 
 However, cultural and spiritual values including the treasure of folklore, music of 
Hmong people has been eroded. It does only exist in the older generations, for the younger 
generation, few of them is interested in and has little understanding about it. 
4. Conclusion 
 To sum up, Hmong people in Vietnam ingeneral and in Thanh Hoa in particular have 
the late migration and settlement processes compared to other ethnic groups in our country. 
So far, there has been a little change in Hmong communities in term of population. In the past 
and until now, Hmong people mainly take up shifting cultivation and animal husbandry as 
their main economic activities; other economic activities are only complementary. 
Additionally, Hmong people have a high sense of community, spirit of mutual support to help 
each other when the village have to deal with great work. They also have a sense of material 
contribution to spiritual and cultural activities for community events Therefore, the values of 
the history, culture and society cultural are the solid base for Hmong people to survive and 
develop sustainably in their own homeland. 
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[7] Thanh Hoa‟s People Committee (2006), Project on stabilizing life, production and 
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