http://www.vietnam-culture.com/dao-ethnic-group.aspx

 

 

Proper name: Kim Mien, Kim Mun (jungle people)
Other names: Man

Population: 473,945 people

Local groups: Dao Do or Red Dao (Dao Coc ngang, Dao sung, Dao Du lay, Dao Dai Ban), Dao Quan Chet or Dao with tied or belted trousers. (Dao Son Dau, Dao Tam Dao, Dao Nga Hoang, Du Cun), Dao Lo gang (Dao Thanh phan, Dao Coc Mun), Dao Tien or Dao with silver coins or money (Dao Deo tien, Dao Tieu ban), Dao Quant rang or Dao with white trousers (Dao House), Dao Thanh Y or Dao with blue vest, Dao Lan Ten (Dao Tuyen, Dao Ao dai or Dao with long tunics).

Language: The Dao language belongs to the language family of Hmong-Dao.

History: Dao people originally came from China, immigrating between the 12th or 13th century and the early 20th century. They claim themselves descendants of Ban House (Ban vuong), a famous and holy legendary personality.

Production activities:  Dao communities cultivate swidden fields, rocky hollows, and wet -rice paddies. These cultivation activities play a dominant role among different groups and areas. Dao Quan Trang (white trousers) people, Dao Ao Dai (long tunic) and Dao Thanh Y (blue clothes) specialize in wet-rice cultivation. Dao Do (Red Dao) people mostly cultivate in rocky hollows. Other Dao groups are nomadic, others are settled agriculturists. Popular crops are rice, corn and vegetables, such as gourds, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. They raise buffaloes, cows, pigs, chickens, horses, goats in the middle regions of mountains and highland areas.

Cotton farming and weaving are popular among the Dao groups. They prefer garments dyed indigo. Most village wards have forge kilns serving for farming tools repairing. In some places, people make matchlock and flint-lock rifles and cast-iron bullets. The silversmith trade, handed down through generations, mostly produces necklaces, earrings, rings, silvers chains, and betel nut boxes.

Dao Do (Red Dao) and Dao Tien (Coin or Money) groups are well-known makers of traditional paper. The paper is used when writing history, story and song books, when making petitions, when sending money for funeral services, and on other occasions. Other Dao groups are noted for pressing certain fruits to extract oils which they use to illuminate their lamps. Sugarcane is also refined.

Diet: Dao people have two main meals a day-lunch and dinner. Breakfast is eaten only during the busy harvesting season. The Dao eat mostly rice. However, in some places, people eat corn or soup instead of rice. Popular rice meal is made of wood and bamboo. Mortars are divided into several types, such as pillar-shaped mortars or water sprout mortars, with rice-pounding pestles controlled by hands or feet or by water power. The Dao prefer boiled meat, dried or sour mixed meat and sour bamboo shoot soup. When eating is finished, the Dao have a tradition that they never put down the chopsticks on the bowl because it signifies that there is a death in the family. Dao people usually drink distilled alcohol. In some places, they drink a kind of local wine, having a slightly sour and hot taste. Dao people smoke cigarettes or locally grown tobacco with pipes.

Clothing: In the past, men had long hair with chignon or top tuft, with the rest shaved smoothly. Different groups have different types of head-scarves and ways of wearing them. They wear short or long shirts.

Dao women’s clothes are diverse. They usually wear a long blouse with a dress or trousers. Their clothes are colorfully embroidered. When embroidering, they create designs based on their memories. They embroider on one side of the cloth so that the design is seen on the other side. They have several designs such as the letter “van”, the pine tree, animals, birds, humans, and leaves. Their method of creating batik garment is unique. They put the batik stylus or pen into hot bee’s wax and then draw the design onto the cloth. The portion of the cloth receiving the waxed patterns resists the indigo blue dyeing a cloth of beautiful blue and white patterns.

Housing: Many Dao communities are found about half-way up most of the northern mountainous regions. However, there are several Dao groups that live in valleys, such as the Dao Quan Trang (white trousers), as well as high-mountain dwellers like the Dao Do (Red Dao). Wards and houses are scattered around. There are a variety of architectural styles, as some Dao build their houses directly on the ground while others build them on stilts. Some Dao houses combine both these elements.

Transportation: Dao people in highland areas use black baskets with two straps to transport goods and produce. Those living in the lower elevation carry goods with a pair of containers suspended on each end of a carrying pole that rests on the shoulders. Cotton bags or net bags or net back-packs are preferred here.

Social organization: Village relationships are essentially regulated by parentage or by being neighbors. The Dao people have many family surnames, the most popular being Ban, Trieu. Each lineage or each branch possesses its own genealogical register and a system of different middle names to distinguish people of different generations.

Birth: Dao women give birth to their children in the seated position, and usually in the bedroom. The newborn is given a bath with hot water. The family of the expectant mother usually hangs green tree branches or banana flowers in front of their door to prevent evil spirit from doing harm to the baby. When the baby is three days old, they celebrate a ritual in honor of the mother.

Marriage: Boy and girl who want to get married must have their dates of birth compared and consult with a diviner who interprets their future in a ritual using chicken legs to see if they are a compatible match. During the course of the marriage ceremony, the Dao have the custom of stretching a piece of string in front of the procession, or exchanging songs between the couple’s families before entering the house. When the bride comes to the groom’s house, she is carried on his back, and she must step over a pair of blessed scissors when crossing the threshold into the husband’s home.

Funerals: A men called thay tao plays an important role in the funeral. When there is a death in the family, the deceased’s children will have to invite him to supervise the rituals and fine a piece of land for the grave. Care is taken so that the corpse will not be laid out at the same time someone in the family has been born. The deceased, who may be wrapped in a mat, is placed in the coffin inside the home. Then it is carried to the grave. The grave is built of earth and lined with stones. In some Dao areas, the body is cremated if the deceased is older than 12 years old of age. Funeral rituals celebrated to ensure that the deceased rests in peace may take place mane years after the burial. The ceremony usually coincides with initiation rites (cap sac) for a Dao man of the family. The celebration takes place over the course of three days. The first day liberates the spirit of the deceased, and is likened to a break from jail. On the second day, the deceased is worshiped in the house. Then, on the last day, the man’s initiation rite takes. At this point, a particular rite returns the deceased’s spirit to its homeland, Duong Chau.

Building a New House: the age of different members of the family must be considered before a new house is built. This is especially true in the case of the age of the head of the household. The Dao ritual for selecting the land for a new house is considered very important. It takes place at night and involves digging a hole as big as a bowl, arranging grains of rice to represent people, cows, buffaloes, money, rice, and property. And this is placed into the bowl. Based on the dreams that follow in the night, the family will know whether it is good to build the house. The next morning, the family inspects the hole to see if the rice remains and if it is possible to build the house.

Beliefs: Dao religious beliefs include traditional practices and agricultural rituals mixed with elements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Ban vuong is considered the earliest ancestor of the Dao people, so he is worshiped together with the ancestors of the family. In Dao tradition, all grown-up men must pass an initiation rite, cap sac, which expresses the traits of Taoism and the ancient rituals.

Calendar: Dao people use the lunar calendar for all of their activities.

Education: In most wards, people know Han nom (Chinese) characters and the Dao language. Instruction is necessary for reading the ritual texts, folktales and poems.

Artistic activities: The Dao have a rich folk literature and arts with old stories, songs and verse. The Gourd and the Flood Disaster and the Legend of Ban vuong are particularly popular Dao stories. Dancing and music are performed mostly in religious rituals.

Games: Dao people like playing swings, spinning top, and walking on stilts.

 

 

The Dzao (pronounced “Zao”) ethnic minority is incredibiy diverse in all aspects of life: social and religious practices, architecture, agriculture and dress.

Small, localized groups settled in the northern border region of Vietnam after leaving China some 200 years ago.

Dzao people now number some 500,000 in Vietnam, with related groups in Laos, Thailand and China.

Long ago the Dao adopted the Chinese writing system and have a substantial literary tradition.

One popular legend records the origin of the 12 Dao clans: Ban Ho, a powerful dog of five colours, killed an enemy general and was granted the hand of a princess in marriage, who gave birth to twelve children.

Ban Ho is worshipped by the Dao and the five colours of Dao embroidery represent their ancestor.

The Dao boast a particularly striking traditional dress, characterized by a rectangular patch of embroidery sewn onto the back of their jackets, and both men and women sport silver or copper jewellery and tasselled shoulder bags.

Dao women wear elaborate headgear, usually a triangular-shaped turban, either embroidered or decorated with silver coins, beads and coloured tassels.

It’s also common for Dao women to shave their eyebrows and sometimes the whole head, coating the skull with wax.

Dao people live at all altitudes, their house style and agricultural techniques varying accordingly.

While groups living at lower levels are relatively prosperous, growing rice and raising livestock, those in the high, rocky mountains live in considerable poverty.

© C Jan Dodd – The Rough Guide to Vietnam

 

http://globalwanderings.co.uk/ethnic_minorities/dao.shtml

(pronounced Zao) are the 9th largest ethnic group in Vietnam with a population of just under 500,000. They belong to the Hmong Dao language group and are believed to have started migrating from China in the 13th century. The women wear some of the most colourful and diverse costumes of all ethnic groups but can be identified by their black trousers richly embroidered with flower or small star patterns. Their jackets can be red or black usually with embroidered borders. The ensemble is topped by a black or red turban together with chunky silver jewelry. In addition most Dao women shave off their eyebrows and foreheads as this is traditionally regarded as a sign of beauty.

 

A number of variations of the Red Dao can be found around the famous hill station of Sapa. Common features are the embroidered trousers and jacket, but the most stunning part of the ensemble is the scarlet turban which can either be decorated with tassels or bells. Some Dao only wear a red scarf. These photos (above) were all taken around Sapa and show the different styles of headgear.

 

The costume of the Red Dao of Northern Ha Giang and northwestern Cao Bang (above) is quite simple with a plain black tunic and trousers, again bordered with embroidery. However, in contrast to other Dao, they do not shave their hair; instead it is parted with silver clips underneath a square bonnet. These photos were taken at Mau Due market 15km from Yen Minh

 

		These three photos show the great diversity of Red Dao women across Northern Vietnam. The ladies above are Red Dao enjoying lunch in Sapa, while the lady on the left is a Red Dao from Quang Ninh province and the lady on the right a Red Dao from Than Uyen town in Yen Bai province.

 

				Dao Ao Dai (above) wear quite simple costumes for Dao. The Ao Dai in their name is due to the similarity of their tunic to the Ao Dai of the Viet Kinh. However, it is usually hooked up at the front. A distinctive bonnet of black and red material embroidered at the edges and decorated with coloured tassels and small coins is also worn. This photo was taken on the road between Ha Giang town and Yen Minh.
These Red Dao ladies (above) are from the Southern Ha Giang/northern Tuyen Quang branch. They are wearing the traditional costume of plain black trousers together with a loose fitting black jacket richly embroidered in red at the collar, the lower sleeves and on the back. An embroidered red yem (bodice) is worn under the jacket like a vest. The ensemble is worn together with a black apron embroidered in red at the edges, a red belt and a colourful turban covered by a red scarf.
The Dao Tuyen (photo above centre) in the area near Muong Khuong wear plain black trousers and a long black tunic, the lower part of which is lifted up and tucked into a silver belt to reveal broad horizontal stripes on the other side. The tunic is edged in red and decorated with coloured rings around the cuffs. Around the neck are hung a long silver chain and a silver necklace with long red (or pink), yellow and white tassels which hang down as far as the waist. The ensemble is worn together with a black scarf with a broad red stripe down one side, decorated with red, yellow and white tassels and beads.

Red Dao of southern Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces wear a rather different costume than those further north. This comprises plain black trousers and a long black tunic with embroidered cuffs and lapels. The lapels are edged in red and a row of red and yellow tassels hangs from the rear. a small square of embroidery is also sewn onto the back of the tunic and its rear lower flap is also richly embroidered. The outfit is worn with a bright red belt and a plain black turban.
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The Shaven-headed Dao (Dao Dau Troc) of Lang Son and Thai Nguyen have a very elegant costume distinguished by a wide band of embroidery on the collar worn over an embroidered yem (breast binding bodice) decorated with much jewelry. The head is completely shaven and covered by a distinctive bonnet. These ladies are from the region surrounding Bac Son.

 

The Dao Khau (Sewing Dao) women of Lai Chau province wear black trousers richly embroidered with the signature flower, tree and star patterns seen on many Dao costumes. They also wear a front hanging black apron with a wide, plain blue band around its outside (also common to some H’mong), together with a plain black turban. The photos on this page were taken on the road between Lai Chau and Tam Duong

 

 

White-trousered Dao (Dao Quan Trang) of Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Ha Giang province, now actually wear black trousers, but are distinguished by their richly-embroidered white bodice (yem) worn under the jacket like a vest. The hair is tied up in a bun and covered by a black scarf. I met these ladies on the road near Tuyen Quang town.

 

			The Black Dao women of Binh Lu district wear plain black trousers together with black jackets decorated at the sleeves and collars with thin bands of embroidery, coins and beads finished with a maroon ruff. The hair is worn distinctively in a chignon and kept in place by a large silver frame which sits on top of the head; it is then wrapped in thick black cord and finally covered by a black scarf decorated with beads and maroon tassels.

 

 

The Coin Dao (Dao Tien) are mainly settled in a large area spreading from southern Ha Giang and Cao Bang through Tuyen Quang and Bac Quang. These ladies were spotted near Ba Be national park. The most characteristic feature of their costume is their distinctive skirt which features a wide border decorated with a bold silver-grey zigzag patterns

 

 

Song-And-Game Festival Organizes Love http://www.vietnamheritage.com.vn/pages/en/7121154042875-Song-and-game-festival-organizes-love.html

Vietnam Heritage, March 2011 — In springtime, the Dao Tuyển, a branch of the Dao ethnic minority in Lào Cai Province, in the mountainous northwest, usually have a singing festival. Groups of boys and girls, through singing and traditional games, look for their lovers. At the end of the year, the Dao Tuyển boys meet and choose villages that have girls they are interested in to invite them for a singing festival. Then they find a person in their village who knows a lot of songs and can sing well (usually called the singing master) to train them and write invitations to the girls. If the girls accept the invitations, the boys then start to practice. They choose those with beautiful voices to be the main singers and those with good responding skills to react to the girls’ singing. The boys walk to the forest and cut bamboo to make stilts. The stilts are always made in sets of two pairs because the boys also make them for the girls, with whom they will take part in a stilt-walking competition. On the girls’ side, an important job is to make còn balls. The còn balls are the size of a fist, made from cloth and stuffed with corn or rice. The players throw the balls through a ring tied high on a pole. The most beautiful còn balls are thrown first and their makers are respected and paid attention to. The festival is opened with a worshiping ceremony at each of the villages’ shrines. A sorcerer burns incense, lights candles and gives offerings to the gods, asking them to chase away ghosts and protect the villagers. He or she also helps the festival run smoothly and helps the boys and girls with their relationships. The boys go to the girls’ village and sing at the village gate. The singing master of the girls’ village asks who is there to disturb the peace of the village, doing nothing and playing around. Then the boys sing back that it is not because they are lazy, but because the flowers are blossoming and spring is inviting. After that, the singing master tells the girls to greet the boys and invite them into the village. The words of the singing master are repeated from one house to another and the girls step out of their houses to go to the village gate. However, they do not hurry and stand away from the boys. The boys continue to sing. After the opening songs, the village patriarch or matriarch, the head of the village’s greatest clan and the singing master go out to greet the boys, and show their approval for the girls to join the festival. The girls and boys sing, throw còn balls, and afterwards go to the main playground, where there is space for games involving bamboo swings and other activities. Couples soon form and separate from the crowd. In the swing games the ones who do well are rewarded with wine. Those who like each other can form couples to play a swing game. People bring food to the festival, and when meal time comes they sing to invite each other to eat. Afternoon is when games like stilt-walking and ‘find your lover’ take place. To play the find your-lover-game, everyone makes a circle with a couple surrounded inside. One is blindfolded and must find the other. After dinner, the boys and girls make a fire. The singing during the night becomes slower and deeper. The boys sing melodic lyrics like: ‘I swear not to go anywhere far from the forest, hope mum and dad will accept us …’ and it lasts until dawn. The patriarch or matriarch invites the boys and girls to go to the forest to pick vegetables, gather wood and go hunting to wish for luck. Then they go back to the house of the patriarch or matriarch and eat breakfast cooked with the vegetables they have found, in hope of prosperity and fullness for the village. As the festival draws to an end, boys and girls give each other necklaces or bracelets and sing goodbye and words about meeting again the following year.* The author worked for the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism of Lao Cai Province from 2002 to 2009, specializing in ethnic-minority culture.n

By Pham Cong Hoan