There
are an amazing 7 million ethnic people in Vietnam, these people are some of the
most unusual, extraordinary and unique people that you could ever possibly meet,
they are rich in customs, beliefs, superstitions and musical heritage. Add to
this, that they have Matriarchal and Patriarchal systems and systems in which
both partners are on an equal footing, that they have different names in the
different areas that they occupy, that they come from a whole string of
different people and backgrounds that they have many languages and different
types of the same language, and what do you have? The Vietnamese Ethnics. This
makes Vietnam a culturally rich and diverse and amazingly interesting country to
visit. Many of these wonderful people live in the Northern Hills above Hanoi and close to the borders of China, some live in the Central Highlands area and the Khmer and others can be found along the Mekong and even in the major cities. Most have held on to their unique identities like they have clung on to the foothills of North Vietnam.
Some have grown steadily in number while others are on the brink of extinction.
Some are dressed in black, some in all the colors of the rainbow, and like
walking rainbows they are a sight to behold. Some have been in Vietnam for
thousands of years some are recent arrivals. Some are outgoing and will talk to
anyone, some are humble and shy and try to avoid the camera lens. Some are down
almost in the lowlands of the North, some are way up in the highest places in
the north, which denotes that they are late arrivals. Some live stable lives and
stay in one place others are real nomads and move from place to place. Some live
in stilted houses others in mud houses. Some have long pointed noses some have a
flatter type of face. The north is teeming with many of these Ethnic tribes and
hopefully they will be a sight to behold for many years, if you are traveling in
the North please don't offer these Ethnic people money for being allowed to take
their photograph, otherwise you will upset the balance of things in this area
and among these communities who live in almost perfect harmony with their
surroundings. When taking photographs of these people please show respect and do
not push the camera under their noses and start shooting, this can often lead to
confrontations. In the popular places especially, such as Sa Pa, it can become a
circus with tourists chasing Ethnics out of town to get a photograph. This is
totally wrong. So please use your discretion. We have a variety of new walks and
hikes that will introduce these people to you, check them out!