The H’mong ethnic minority, with a population of some 90,000, is divided into a number of sub groups – Flower H’mong, White H’mong, Black H’mong, Red H’mong and Blue H’mong.

There are twelve family lineages, the largest of which are the Giang, Lu, Ly, Sung, Tan, Thao, Then, Trang and Vang. Ties within family clans are particularly strong, even when they move to live abroad. If a H’mong person meets someone with the same surname, they will instantly call each other brother or sister as they think they share the same blood. They can also live and work in the other person’s house and give a helping hand to the clan.

Traditional ways

H’mong communities in Asia have a lot of experience in slash-and-burn cultivation and mainly grow rice, maize and fruit.

H’mong families and villages are patriarchal and the men are considered superior to women and are the rulers and decision makers in every household.

H’mong tribes are very famous for their handicrafts, particularly their stunning embroidery. They weave and embroider the fabric themselves even if they buy the fibres at a local market. Many people still cultivate and dye their clothes, using local indigo plants. From newborn kids to the recently deceased, the H’mong are always dressed in their finest garments.

Living in remote mountainous locations, H’mong people are obviously close to nature and this can be seen in their designs.

Snails are an important symbol for H’mong people as they admire the creature’s good-nature and relaxed pace and their images are used to decorate their clothes.

Silverswork and bronze jewelry are two other crafts the H’mong excell at. Silver is a bona fide currency for the H’mong. Instrument making is also a highly developed craft in H’mong society. You can see panpipes and lip organs (Jew’s harp), being played frequently at festivals.

The H’mong people’s spiritual life and customs are influenced by Chinese religions such as Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. They also have a vast knowledge of herbal medicines and natural remedies.

Love and marriage

The "hay pu" custom (photo:catcatsapatourism)

The H’mong do not allow marriages within the same clans, however, their custom is now changing. Monogamy is now the norm instead of polygamy. The custom of a widow marrying her dead husband’s younger brother (even if he already has one or more wives) is disappearing.

Also less commonly practiced now is the so-called “hay pu” custom (marriage-by-abduction) which involves a man and his friends, literally kidnapping the woman he wishes to marry, sometimes even if the woman has refused to accept him. More commonly, couples used the practice if the woman’s parents did not approve of the relationship. In recent times the custom has become a more tongue-in-cheek courtship ritual.

Traditionally a man abducted his lover on a prearranged day. She would pretend to resist and shout for help, otherwise she would be dishonouring her family. After spending one night at her lover’s house, the woman would not be allowed to return to her family as she had already become his wife. After three days, the groom’s family would approach the bride’s family.

If there was any doubt on where she had stayed, the groom’s family would produce the couple’s belongings to prove she had slept at their house. As long as everyone accepted the situation a simple wedding would be held and the husband’s family would present the bride’s family with a generous dowry.

Nowadays, marriage is mostly voluntary and based on love.

Modern ways

H’mong lifestyles have also changed in other ways. The H’mong people in Sapa town were traditionally farmers but now they make money from selling handicrafts, working as tour guides or from offering home stay accommodation.

Sa Pa market (photo:dulichhangngay)

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in Sapa, originally a Black H’mong settlement which was discovered by Europeans on a Jesuit mission to the are in 1918. Like Da Lat, it served as a retreat for French administrators when the plains became unbearably hot. Today it serves as a gateway to Vietnam’s mountainous north. Over the past nearly 10 years, the area has seen a rapid rise in tourism.

Interestingly the H’mong have been the first to seize the commercial opportunities brought by tourists. Throughout the town H’mong teenagers are engaging but persistent vendors of hand-woven indigo cloth and handicrafts.

These girls are striking in their ability to pick up English as they have no formal education and their English is often better than their ethnic Vietnamese.

(Timeout-VOVNews)